The Paradox of the Manger: That Baby is the World's Sustainer (Part III - final)

You can read part one here and part two here.

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Jesus is the Sustainer of the World

Now, the whole point we have building toward is this: That baby in the manger is the world’s sustainer. How could this be so, if He was a real and genuine infant? We can only explain this by referring to his divine nature.

For in his divine nature, which has never been altered or diminished in any way, Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists.

Hebrews 1: 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...

The word “uphold” means to carry along – to actively bear. It is the idea of continually (verb tense) carrying along all things in the universe. In the words of Paul to the Colossians, “in him all things hold together” – which means the Son of God is the direct agent of creation’s ongoing life and maintenance. As Paul said to the Aereopagites: “In Him we have our being!” Which means that all that exists continues to exist because Christ keeps it existing. And if Christ were to stop sustaining everything, “everything except the Triune God would cease to exist.”

So, here is where mystery intensifies – as does our adoration for the eternal Son of God.

^· He became a real human... but He never stopped being God.

^· He took upon Himself real flesh and blood... yet He never ceased to be the radiance of the glory of God.

^· He needed milk, sleep and protection to live... yet He provided all that was needed for life and breath.

^· He became a babe who had to be taught how to talk... yet He never stopped upholding the universe by the word of his power.

^· He laid there as a real and helpless infant... yet He never ceased to hold together the molecules of the wood from which his manger bed was made.

What does all this mean?

It means the person of the Son of God, in His divine nature, is sovereign over all that exists... including you. Not sovereign like the Queen of England is sovereign over England – with the power to command and power to kill... but no ability to know, let alone direct your daily thoughts and actions.

“he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

He is sovereign in this sense:

^· You have your very being, your life and nature from Him.

^· By His power you continue.

^· Without the exercise of His will you would immediately cease to exist.

^· Your next breath is a gift from Him.

^· You are constantly dependent on Him.

^· And the fact you are here today is the result of Him (and His grace).

^· His own power is what grants you life and health and choice....

And you, if you are not a Christian, are willfully using what He graciously gives you in order to oppose and act against Him. This is what sin is – Total Madness.

And the pinnacle of mankind’s insanity is the cross.

We (by our representatives) cheered as we killed our God.

And He died...

But not without purpose....

As centuries of Jewish animal sacrifice had pointed toward, Jesus was dying as the one final and sufficient sacrifice. What our works or offerings could never do, He did for us, becoming our substitute and dying in our place.

Only a God-Man could be our substitute.

He had to be a man – to be on of us.

He had to be God – to satisfy in three hours an eternity of deserved hell against us.

Marvel at the wisdom and the power of God, then repent of your sin and put your sole confidence in Jesus alone for salvation from your sin.

Our text says, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...”

When He next rises from that throne, you had best be ready. He came ONCE for salvation. He comes ONCE MORE (and ONLY once more) and that for JUDGMENT.

Christian, rejoice! For you are IN CHRIST. One with He who is God... and Man. You are fully saved. Forever blessed. Amen.

The Paradox of the Manger: That Baby is the World's Sustainer - Part Two

You can read part one here.

His Divine Nature

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

“A Thing to be Grasped”

Jesus did not consider His equality to the Father something be desperately clung to, like a baby clinging to his toy in the nursery. The “equality” that he did not cling to was an equality in glory, in worship. For Jesus to become anything less than fully God is incomprehensible – God is perfect and any diminishing of His perfection would be to stop being God – a logical fallacy!

“He Made Himself Nothing”

This phrase is defined by its context. For Jesus to make Himself nothing, “to empty Himself,” was to take on human flesh and to be born in the likeness of men. In doing this, Jesus set aside the glory that was His with the Father in heaven – it was this glory that He did not grasp at. His privilege as Son of God was laid aside. He did not cease being all-powerful or stop being all-knowing in his divine nature. There has never been a time that the Person of Christ was less than fully God.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Therefore, in His divine nature, His true deity was never altered or shrunk or mixed or shelved or lessened in any way.

His Human Nature

But His human nature was genuine, too. While he lay in that manger, as genuine Person, in His human nature He was not directing world affairs and maintaining the orderly working of the cosmos. He was being an infant. As one author writes, “the infant Jesus was not lying in the manger directing the physics of the universe he had created.” Not in his human nature. No, the condescension of God was such that He was a real and genuine infant born to neglected parents. He was a real baby. And there are numerous texts that speak of change in his human nature over time – of growth and development.

Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (as a young boy)

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (at 12 years old)

He had a real human body

^· Tired – Jn 4:6

^· Thirsty – Jn 19:28

^· Hungry – Mt 4:1

^· Crucified – Lk 23:46

He experienced real human emotion

^· Wept – Jn 11:35

^· Troubled – Jn 13:21

^· Sorrowful – Mt 26:38

Most amazing of all – he “learned obedience”

Hebrews 5:7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him...

As He grew physically, He was able to take on more responsibility and to obey the increasingly difficult commands from His Father. Hebrews 2:18 “For because he himself has suffered when tempted...” He did not learn obedience out of disobedience (the way you and I do) – but obedience out of obedience (the way Adam should have). He was tested and tempted by the Devil himself... and yet, “he never sinned.” This was his very real suffering – being genuinely tempted day after day and remaining obedient to the Father.

Someone might very well ask, “But how can the omniscient God increase in wisdom or learn obedience? Was this just some elaborate charade?”

To which we answer, the only way for our small minds to comprehend this remarkable miracle is to think in terms of His two natures:

Divine Nature	Human Nature
Cannot be tempted (Jas 1:13)	Tempted 40 days... all his life
Wise	Grew in wisdom
All the “omni’s”	Learned obedience
Unchanging	Became strong.. increased in wisdom and stature... learned obedience
YET ONE PERSON: so whatever is true of one nature is true of the One Person Jesus – can calm a storm, walk on water... and not know day of His Return!

Jesus is One Person

So, in His incarnation, Jesus imposed limitations on himself that enabled Him to live a truly human life. His divine nature never ceased to hold all the attributes of deity – but Jesus the man willfully accepted the limitations of genuine humanity so that he might be truly man and eventually, truly our substitute.

In 451 (1555 years ago), a large church council made up of Christians from many countries and backgrounds, gathered together to summarize the Bible’s teaching on the Son of God. That statement describes what is called the hypostatic (being) union:

The Chalcedonian Creed

Therefore, following the Holy Fathers,

we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge

one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

at once complete in Godhead and complete in Manhood,

truly God and truly man,

consisting also of a rational soul and body;

of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead,

and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his Manhood;

like us in all respects, apart from sin;

as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his Manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer;

one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only begotten,

recognized in two natures,

without confusion, without change,

without division, without separation;

the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ;

even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him,

and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us,

and the creed of the Fathers has handed down to us.

Two Natures / One Person

You might say, “Give me an analogy!” There are none! They all fail! They all take away from His glory. So, you must stretch your brain a little and think of two natures, one person.

And think of this: how wonderfully the virgin birth of Jesus preserves both His deity and His humanity. As Grudem writes, if he had human parents and were somehow made God: we would always doubt is deity. If were made a man in heaven and transported to earth: we would always doubt his humanity. Behold the wisdom of God!

Challies Dot Com: Prayer and the Empty Hand

Challies Dot Com: Prayer and the Empty Hand

Tim writes some of his reflections on our efforts of last night.

The book we distributed was Piper's "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ."

The Paradox of the Manger: That Baby is the World’s Sustainer

The early church sang this song:

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

These words say some amazing things about that baby laid in the manger. First of all, that Jesus is God. In Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. He is fully God, the exact image or likeness of God the Father, representing to us all that we can know of God in this life. To behold Him is to behold the Father. And yet, Jesus is not the Father. He is an eternal and distinct personal expression of the One God. As one man writes, “fully God, yet not alone fully God.” Or, as the apostle John said:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

As Paul said it to the Colossians: All that exists was made IN Jesus, BY Jesus and UNTO Jesus. He is the agent of creation – God the Father being the “prime mover,” but Jesus the actual agent of creation.

But at Christmas time we remember the birth of a baby. Not an ordinary child, this Jesus was born of a virgin: “When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

Thus, at one point in time, the Son of God was “contracted to a span / incomprehensibly made man” and born to a virgin named Mary. He was fully human and, we might add, fully “infant.” “Remaining what he was, he became what he was not” – he became fully human. Yet He never stopped being fully God.

But Jesus did not just make the world – He sustains the world. Right now.

^· Every breath, ray of light, eyelash, sound...

^· the laws of nature and gravity...

^· the rotation of planets and axis of the earth...

^· are all sustained by Jesus.

Paul has already said, “in Him all things hold together,” but I want to take you to a second passage that confirms this in similar language.

Hebrews 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

This passage mirrors the Colossians paragraph quite closely. First, the writer says, “Jesus is God.” Then he follows this by stating that Jesus created all that exists. Then, like Paul in Colossians, he teaches us that Jesus sustains, maintains, continues, carries along all that He has made: he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

I. Jesus is God

All the glorious perfections of God dwell in the person of the Son – “He is the radiance of the glory of God”

And all that God intends for us to know of Him is communicated to us through the Son, who is “the exact imprint of his nature”

To illustrate, we might say that “Jesus is the beam out of the unapproachable light that is God.”

John Owen comments in remarkable fashion on the phrase found in Hebrews 1:3 “He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God”. After noting that the analogy cannot be forced to include anything that is bad or evil, he suggested 6 ways that the sun in our sky with its beams of light illustrate this idea that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. I shall list 4 of them for you:

“3. As the sun in order of nature is before the beam, but in time both are co-existent; so is the Father in order of nature before the Son, though in existence both co-eternal.”

– the fiery ball of sun must come first in order, but it exists at the same time as the beam of light which shines from it. This is like Jesus and His Father.

4. As the beam is distinct from the sun, so that the sun is not the beam, and the beam is not the sun; so is it between the Father and the Son.

- the sun in our sky and the light on our planet are distinct. This is like Jesus and the Father.

5. As the beam is never separate from the sun, nor can the sun be without the beam, no more can the Son be from the Father, nor was the Father ever without the Son.

- there is no light beam apart from the sun and there is no sun without light beams. This is like Jesus and the Father.

6. As the sun cannot be seen but by the beam, no more can the Father but in and by the Son.”[1]

- the only way we know the sun is in the sky is by the light it shines... the beams show us the sun. This is like Jesus and His Father.

Jesus really is God that is the point. He is equal to the Father in His deity.

Now, having established the deity of Jesus, we need to consider what it was for Him to become man. Why?

Because we need to figure out, was that baby really managing every microbe and mountain as he lay in the manger? Or did something else happen? Did the Holy Spirit take over for a while? Did Jesus become less God? Was He only faking being a man? Was he some kind of mistaken identity – like the bizarre theatrical flop, Little Man?

What was Jesus? Who are we talking about at Christmas? Is he fact or fairy tale?

Q: What does the Bible say happened to Jesus when he became human?

A: The Son of God, the 2^nd Person of the Tri-une Godhead, who Himself is eternal, infinite and omnipotent, joined Himself to human nature forever, becoming One Person with finite man. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in one person forever.

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

This is perhaps the greatest mystery in the Bible – in the universe! So just sitting around and talking about the Person of Christ is fraught with difficulties. Almost every statement we can make to describe the nature of Jesus has to be balanced by another statement. And we are quickly faced with the incredible limitation of language – for words alone are insufficient.

Two Natures

To help guard us from error, Christians over the last two millennia have learned to speak of the two natures of Jesus – His human nature and his divine nature. By doing this, we are able to point out those attributes or characteristics that belong more fully to one of His two natures – all the while acknowledging that whatever one nature does, the Person of Christ does.

But you can see right away how our finite understanding begins to strain under the weight of deity! For, Jesus is not two separate entities in one body. Neither is he divine in heaven and human while on earth. Neither is he some kind of stew – two natures mixed together in one confused pot – both natures becoming less than they were on their own. These are all heresies that have been condemned by the church over the centuries – and rightly so.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is God. The Bible teaches that Jesus is man. The Bible teaches that Jesus is one person.

So, we are plumbing the depths here. What did it mean for Jesus to become man? Did He stop being God?

I will start to answer that question more fully tomorrow!

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[1] From Hebrews, Volume 3, Banner of Truth, 92.

The Pastor as Leader - Part One

The Leadership Seminar

On Friday, December 08, 2006, I was pleased to bring three of my good friends in to my pastoral theology class for a panel discussion. Kirk Wellum, professor of New Testament at TBS; Carl Muller, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Burlington, Ontario; and David Robinson, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Cambridge, Ontario. I have known and loved these men for many years. Each has served for some time in pastoral ministry (Kirk pastored for over 20 years before joining TBS full-time this fall) and each is a faithful minister of the Gospel. More than that, these men live what they preach. I love to be around guys like that! They humble me, challenge me and encourage me!

Our class had prepared a number of questions in response to our semester of looking at a pastor as “leader.” That is why the questions move in the direction they do. One of my students, Peter No, was gracious enough to type like mad and get down a lot of what was said. In reading over the manuscript, I realize there is much that you miss from not being there – the looks, the laughter, the “weightiness” of a particular moment... but I thought other pastors might enjoy reading what these fellows had to say. Like every time I am with them I left our class refreshed, provoked to think through some things and just plain happy I know these brothers! So, here is part one of the Leadership Panel. Enjoy!

The notations are as follows: K – Kirk Wellum; C – Carl Muller; D – David Robinson; P – me!

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P: What is a leader?

K: In some ways it is intangible. Either people will follow you or they don’t. There is a gift of leadership and it must be possessed to some degree by pastors or church leaders. One thing I object to is leadership that gets in your face. The best leadership is leading by example and proving yourself by what you do. You’re not a leader if you’re using titles to win respect. A leader is someone God has equipped to help others within the church. At the same time, there are many ways we can enhance our leadership. There are leaders and there are followers.

P: But don’t you think that some form of leadership can be taught – at least to men? I am thinking here of commands to husbands...

K: In one sense, yes, men have leadership responsibilities in ways that women don’t in society, family and church. We are all capable of providing leadership. When it comes to leading a church there is a gradation of leadership within the church.

C: It’s leading by example. If you’re a pastor and you don’t live it and your family doesn’t reflect it, your conversation and character don’t reflect what you’re teaching and preaching, then you have cut the heart out of leadership. If you’re not an example, you might as well quit. I think there are degrees of leaders. There are certain leaders who are great, but God also uses others who are mediocre or poor.

P: So, a good leader is one who is going to model for others, but there are some leaders who never back it up in their lives?

C: There are leaders who are charismatic and dynamic and they just have specific qualities that attract people to them naturally. In terms of Christian leadership, being exemplary is crucial.

D: To be a leader means leading people somewhere. Sometimes people rebel and sometimes people follow you. Like Moses, however, being a leader means being resolute towards your goal. Being a leader means setting a direction and doing what Scripture commands us to do, even if that may not be popular today. It is the strength to go against the grain of the world because this is what you believe God is telling you to do.

P: Does a pastor have to be a good leader?

D: Yes, otherwise the church suffers.

K: We have to introduce the idea of servanthood which is characteristic of all types of leadership. There are a lot of intangibles in leadership, but what the Gospels speak about is servanthood. That is what distinguishes Christian leadership from the rest of the world; taking an interest in people and serving them. The biggest thing that I learned is that you have to be genuinely interested in the people you serve. If they start to think that you’re not interested in them, then you’re in trouble.

D: Ezekiel 34 talks about shepherds who don’t care about the sheep at all and God removes them. It’s an excellent picture of what a shepherd should be; caring, leading, etc. Do people see someone who wavers back and forth, or someone who is standing firm on the truth? People want to see someone who boldly proclaims the truth, coupled with love. It’s an intangible quality.

C: You can have a leader who is reluctant. There are those who are eager to enter into leadership roles, but others are less so. The pastorate is exposing yourself to ridicule and criticism, and if your natural disposition is to shy away then you will face challenges that are unique to your personality. You’re not there to promote yourself. You’re there for the good of the flock.

The Chalcedonian Creed - Jesus is God / Jesus is Man

The Chalcedonian Creed

Therefore, following the Holy Fathers,

we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge

one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

at once complete in Godhead and complete in Manhood,

truly God and truly man,

consisting also of a rational soul and body;

of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead,

and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his Manhood;

like us in all respects, apart from sin;

as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his Manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer;

one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only begotten,

recognized in two natures,

without confusion, without change,

without division, without separation;

the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ;

even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him,

and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us,

and the creed of the Fathers has handed down to us.

As translated in Dale Moody’s book, The Word of Truth. This statement was written to defend the unipersonality and dual nature of Jesus. The Chalcedonian Creed was adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 in Asia Minor, one of the seven ecumenical councils accepted by Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and many Protestant Christian churches. It is the first Council not recognized by any of the Oriental Orthodox (e.g. Coptic) churches. The Creed was written amid controversy between the western and eastern churches over the meaning of the incarnation, the ecclesiastical influence of the emperor, and the supremacy of the Roman Pope. The western churches readily accepted the creed, but the eastern churches did not, resulting in a split in the orthodox church.