Open your Bibles this morning,
if you would, to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. And I want us to look at one
verse. And if the Lord would be pleased
to look at one thought and most especially one person. Romans 8 and verse 29, For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren." In this verse, we find a very
interesting and a very informing title that is given to the Lord
Jesus Christ. He's called the firstborn. He is the prototokos. And that is, as it is translated
in another place, also not only the firstborn, but the first
begotten. He is the firstborn of Mary, but it is a greater sense that
God speaks of Him here. He is the firstborn of Mary,
but He is not such as a created being. No. Jesus Christ Himself is the Creator. He is the firstborn with regard
to both the creation and also the new creation. You remember Paul's words? He
says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. And if you notice, this title
is given in connection with his people. He's the firstborn among
many brethren. In other words, he is the first
of and also the head of a large family, a great people. And there are several things
that I want us to note out of the Old Testament because it
is in the Old Testament that we first begin to hear and see
some significance of the firstborn. And one thing this means is that
all of the things of the Old Testament all the things of the
law, everything finds its origin and speaks of and pertains to
the Lord Jesus Christ. It comes from Him, it is about
Him, and it glorifies Him. And that's what he's saying here
in Luke chapter 24 when he said to those disciples, these are
the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled. All things must be fulfilled. which were written in the law
of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning
me." Then, it says, he opened their understanding that they
might understand the Scripture. We don't understand the Scriptures
until the Spirit of God opens us or gives us understanding
of them, and we only understand them as they pertain to the firstborn,
to the Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing that I would
say about this one who in the Bible is called the firstborn
is the firstborn was shown to be first in the position of a
family. He was the first in the family. And in that, God shows us that
in the human family, even in the human family, It is not Adam,
but Christ that is the firstborn. The Bible says He is before all
things. He not only was before all things,
He is before all things. And as I've said to you before,
the last Adam, the one who is called the last Adam, Jesus Christ,
He was really the first Adam. He is before all things. And it's the same case when you
look back in the Bible. as God determines, not who is
simply the firstborn naturally, but who is the firstborn in His
sight. You look back and we read about
Jacob. Esau was the firstborn after
the flesh, but Jacob was the firstborn in the grace of God. You look back and it says that
it is not the child of the flesh, but the child of the Spirit and
the child of the promise that we see God being viewing as the
firstborn. It was not Isaac who was the
first after the flesh, or Ishmael, but it was Isaac who was truly
the firstborn. It was not those Egyptians or
Babylonians or Greeks, but God speaks of Israel as My firstborn. And then when you look at all
the sons of Jesse, all they were in their brilliance and their
stateliness and in their manliness, they were every one rejected
by God. And David, the youngest, he was
the one of God's appointing. The first and the head of the
family, the one who is before all things, the firstborn in
the sight of God, is Jesus Christ. Turn over to Colossians. Colossians, the first chapter,
and listen to what the Apostle Paul is led to write by the Spirit
of God. Colossians 1 and verse 12, giving
thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet, or fit to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature." You see that? Not created, but rather the Creator,
the firstborn of every creature, for by Him, were all things created
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,
all things were created by Him and for Him. You see that? And for Him. And he is before
all things, and by him are all things, and he is the head of
the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence,
for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell."
Jesus Christ, that One who is none other than God the Son,
He is before all things. He is the firstborn, and it says
here, the firstborn of many brethren. And God is saying in that, if
we are not in Him, If we are not found in His Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ, if we are not found among those that He gave His
life a ransom for, then we are not in His family. He is the Firstborn, the One
who is the Head and the Highest, and the One who is before all
things especially. in the family of God. All right? Here's the second thing. The
firstborn was the highest in privilege and rank. The firstborn
is described in this way. He is the firstborn as the Father's
might, as the firstfruits of His strength, as the preeminence
of His dignity and of His power. Reuben was one who defiled his
father's bed. and in doing so lost this position,
but when he was described in the book of Genesis by his father,
this is what was said. Thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of
my strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of
power." In other words, this was the firstborn son of this
man, and he had many more sons, but he described his firstborn
as the highest with regard to privilege and rank and the very
beginning of his strength and his glory." You see, as the firstborn,
he had the precedence before all the brethren. He was the
highest in dignity and power and privilege and given a double
portion. The title, firstborn, not only
reveals his priority in time and such as that, but a great
superiority and authority. The Father gave to the firstborn
the highest position, the highest rank, a double portion of all
things, And that is why the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth as
the firstborn who is the sovereign king and ruler and disposer of
all things that God has. Let me read you an example of
that. In 2 Chronicles, it says that their father gave them gifts
of silver to all his sons. He gave to them gifts, great
gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things with fenced
cities in Judah. But the kingdom, this king gave to all his sons,
gave them even cities. But it says, "...but the kingdom
he gave to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn." You see, God has given to His
children You remember John says, Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we might be called the sons
of God. He's given to all His children
all the great things of His grace. But He has given the kingdom,
or the kingship, the sovereignty, the authority, the right to rule
and reign over all things to the firstborn. And that's why
it was just as that king gave to Joseph the rule of the kingdom,
the control over every bit of that grain that was stored in
all the storehouses of Egypt in the time of the famine, so
that if anybody got anything to eat, they had to go to Joseph. And that's the way it is with
the Lord Jesus Christ. If you get any grace, if you
get any mercy, if you receive the salvation of God, if you're
delivered from the wrath to come, if you receive anything that
is freely given to the Lord's people, it will have to come
from and through the Lord Jesus Christ. He controls and He administers
as the firstborn all things in heaven and in earth. Listen to
what it says in Hebrews 1. Being made so much better than
the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name
than they. For unto which of the angels
said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten
thee, and again I will be to him a father, and he shall be
to me a son, and again when he bringeth in the first begotten."
into the world. He said, who said it? God said it. And let all the
angels of God worship Him. He is the highest in rank and
privilege. He is the sovereign Lord, the
heir of all things. and the one in whom all his elect
are blessed forever with all the inheritance of God's grace."
Turn over to Psalm 89. Psalm 89, and listen to what
the psalmist says here, being led of the Spirit, talking about
David, and at the same time, and moreover, talking about Christ. Look down in verse 27. Also I will make him my firstborn
higher than the kings of the earth. You say, well, so what? He's made Christ the firstborn
sovereign ruler higher than all the kings of the earth. He gives
us that title in connection with this authority because it's in
this authority and position as the firstborn among many brethren. that he exercises this sovereignty
and that he receives of God that which is a blessing to his people. Now, you keep listening. He said,
I'll make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of all the earth. My mercy will I keep for him
forevermore. and my covenant shall stand fast
with him." You say, well, that's good, but what does it mean to
us? Now listen, he says, his seed, these many brethren, his
seed also will I make to endure forever and his throne as the
days of heaven. And listen to this, if his children forsake my law
and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes and
keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression
with the rod and their iniquity with stripes." He said, I'll chasten them. I'll
deal with them. Nevertheless, my lovingkindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness
to fail. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn
by my holiness that I will not lie unto David, that is, Christ. His seed shall endure forever,
and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever
as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven, Selah." Now,
God has put His Son, the firstborn, over all things. And that means
He's going to deal with His children, with these many brethren. He's
going to deal with them by dealing with Him. Oh, he says, if they
or when they break my commandments, when they transgress against
my statute, I'll chasten them, but I won't ever cast them off.
I won't ever, ever turn my back on them. I won't ever abandon
them because I have received them and they are the children
of and the brethren of the firstborn. And He is the King Almighty,
all-glorious. And then here's the third thing.
And that is, in the Bible, in the Old Testament, the firstborn
was the one sacrificed to God. Listen to what he gave under
the law to Israel. He says in Exodus 13, sanctify
unto me all the firstborn. whatsoever openeth the womb among
the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is mine." Belong to God. This doesn't mean that the children,
that firstborn son, it does not mean that they were literally
sacrificed to God as the heathen sacrificed their children. Can
you imagine that? Jeremiah says, they have built
up also the high places of Baal to burn their sons with fire
for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not. nor spake it, neither came it
into my mind." They used to take and build out of metal great
statues of their gods, having arms and hands like this outreached. And they would build a fire.
Chemosh was one, and Baal another, a lot of them by all various
names, and they would build a fire behind those idols until they
heated them red hot. And they would go and sacrifice
and lay their children in the arms of that molten God until
He just burned them up and consumed them. He said, I didn't command them
to do that. As a matter of fact, The firstborn
sons, they were belonging to God and given to God, the firstborn
sons, but rather than sacrifice them and slay them, they were
to take them down to the temple and they were redeemed for five
shekels. Why? Because they were not really
the firstborn that was to be sacrificed to God. This was God's
principle. This is what He required. This
is what He would have. This is what He deserved. But
rather than go slay them, they would be taken down, that firstborn
son, and he would be redeemed by five shekels. now among man
and beast. There was determined by God some
that were called clean and some that were called unclean. And
those animals under the Old Testament law that were considered clean
by God, the firstborn that opened the womb of that animal that
was called clean in God's sight, they were actually taken and
sacrificed. And God said of those unclean
animals, the firstborn, they also had to be taken and redeemed. And He says, if you don't redeem
them, then you'll just break their neck. Because the firstborn
was to be sacrificed to God. And whenever you read in the
Scriptures, if there is one thing that is so clear, it is that
this firstborn, the only true firstborn that is ever actually
sacrificed to God, is Jesus Christ. Paul said, Christ our Passover. What does that mean? Our Passover
Lamb. Christ our Passover was sacrificed
for us. And if you remember in Egypt,
when God went through the land that night, when He as the death
angel brought death into every household, what did He do? He slew the firstborn in every
household in Egypt. But He said to those Israelites,
you take a lamb, That was considered a clean animal in the sight of
God. And you watch that lamb and make
sure that it's without spot and without blemish. And you slay
that lamb and take the blood and sprinkle it on the lentils
and doorposts of your homes. And when I see the blood, I will
pass over you. So the Lord Jesus Christ, as
the firstborn, is that one that who alone is to be sacrificed
to God. Then, not only that, the firstborn
received of the Father a double portion, and he could not be
disinherited. Turn back over to Deuteronomy,
the 21st chapter. Now, there's a lot of unusual
circumstances recorded in the Scripture. And they are simply
recorded so that God might show us the singularity and the superiority
of Jesus Christ. All right? in Deuteronomy chapter
21, beginning in verse 15. If a man have two wives, one
beloved and another hated, and they have borne him children,
both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son be hers
that was hated, In other words, that man had two wives. He loved
one, he didn't like the other. Favored one, didn't favor the
other. And the natural tendency for
him to be was to take that child that was born of the one that
he loved, even if it wasn't the one that was born first, and
favor that child. But the law of God said, no way.
Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which
he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn
before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn. But he shall acknowledge the
son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion
of all that he hath. For he is the beginning of his
strength. The right of the firstborn is
his." Now, men may come along and they
might decide that they like somebody better than Christ. They may
decide that they love someone different from the one that is
God's firstborn. But this one, he can never be
disinherited. He has been given and has received
and is surely the one who receives the double portion because he
is the firstborn. You remember when Elijah, after
Elijah had died, the Bible says that rather than
do what most were doing, wandering around trying to find Elijah. Rather, Elisha cried out to the
God of Elijah, and he prayed for a double portion of Elijah's
spirit. In other words, what he was saying
was, God grant that I might be, in a spiritual sense, the firstborn
of the prophet Elijah. receive a double portion of His
Spirit. And that's what the gospel proclaims. In Isaiah 40, He says to all
His servants, He says, Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. and cry unto her that her warfare
is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received
of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Now, I know there
are a lot of ways that that could be interpreted, I suppose. It
certainly does not mean that she's received double punishment
for her sin, because that would make God unjust. But I believe it means that rather
than have her sins laid to her charge, She has rather received
those things that are set side by side in the gospel, that double
portion of grace and mercy, that double portion of peace and joy,
that double portion of righteousness and forgiveness. And she's received
the double portion in Him who could never be disinherited. And if we're in the one that
would never be and could never be disinherited, that means we'll
never be disinherited. Instead of the portion that was
due our sins, we have Christ in whom we receive everything. And then the firstborn was to
be the priest before God. In Exodus 22, he says, Thou shalt
not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy
liquors. The firstborn of thy sons shalt
thou give unto me, or represent you for me. because the firstborn
was to be the priest representing the family to God in the only
way and by the only sacrifices that God would be worshipped,
which was what he had appointed and what he provided. From Adam's day all the way to
Moses, The firstborn, beginning in Adam's day all the way down
to the time of the law, the firstborn, or the firstborn son of the family, he acted as the priest. They didn't all get together
and have a family vote and decide, well, who's going to be our priest
to represent us to God? No. It was passed on like it
was from Adam to Abel and every other one in that spiritual relationship that the firstborn,
the one regarded as the firstborn, he would be the one who took
the sacrifice. He would be the one who slew
the sacrifice, who built the altar. and acted as a priest
representing that family before God. And then the Bible says that
when it came down to the time of the law, when God gave the
law, He made the Levites to be the firstborn, and all the Levites
were the ones to represent the people of God before God. Listen to what he says in Numbers,
Numbers 3. And I, behold, I have taken the
Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the
firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel.
Therefore the Levites shall be mine, because all the firstborn
are mine, For on the day that I smote all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in
Israel, both man and beast, mine shall they be, for I am the Lord." He said, I've taken all, and
I've made the Levites to be on the behalf of this people my
firstborn. And what did they do? They acted
as the priest, representing Israel before God, year after year,
no matter where they were, or no matter whether it was tabernacle
or priest. Why? Because that's what the
firstborn does. And that is more especially what
Jesus Christ whose priesthood, it says, was before Levi, before
Adam, before Abraham. He was always God's priest. He
was the priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And it is said of Christ, every
high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices
for sins." They offered the blood of bulls
and goats, doves, but when the Lord Jesus Christ
came when the firstborn came into this world, the one who
was always the priest of God. He offered what all those sacrifices
pictured, and that was the sacrifice of Himself. Why? He's the firstborn. Hebrews says,
who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice
first for his own sins, then for the people's, for this he
did once when he offered up himself." Had he been like all those other
priests? He must often have suffered since
the foundation of the world, but now, once in the end of the
world, He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself." As a matter of fact, this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, He sat down on the right hand
of God. As that priest, by one offering
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." He's the
priest. There's not any other priest.
And then here's the last thing. Christ also is described as the
firstborn or the first begotten from the dead. Firstborn, first begotten. He's
not the Savior of those who perish. He is the Savior of the body,
the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven,
and salvation arises from his death as the cause, the procuring
cause of their salvation, which is evidenced in the fact that
he is the first begotten from the dead. Turn back a minute
to Colossians 1 and look back at that verse 18. And he is the head of the body,
the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. The firstborn from the dead. Now, I'm sure of this. If there
were not to be, if there was never to be, these many brethren,
then Christ could never have been said to be the firstborn. The only way you can be the firstborn
is if at least there's a secondborn. Isn't that right? He's the firstborn from the dead. In other words, when Christ died
as the substitute of His people, and all His people died in Him,
likewise, when He rose, they all rose in Him and are said
to be seated with Him in the heavenlies. He is the firstborn
from the dead. In Adam all die. And those who
are in Christ, they are made alive. He said, I'm the resurrection
and the life. Turn over to Revelation and the
first chapter and listen in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 5. He says, And from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead,
the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us
and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made
us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. When God raised up His Son, that was but the token and evidence
and guarantee that all He died for, all who are in Him, they
also will be raised up likewise. As a matter of fact, they were
raised up, but they'll be raised, every one of them, in their bodies
and be with Him forever. This past weekend, I saw a dear
lady who I've known for almost 30 years. And I don't know what
it was, but for some reason, She would always seek me out
and she'd always be encouraging to me. And when I saw her last
weekend, she was not changed one bit. She was still the same
person, still sought me out, 90 years old now, to say an encouraging word and
to say how much she appreciated the gospel. And this morning I checked my
emails and I had an email from her pastor. And yesterday she went out into that eternal glory that
is raised reserved for all the Lord's people. She laid down
on her bed to go to sleep and fell asleep in the Lord Jesus
Christ. One of the first things that
came to my mind was, I sure am glad that the last word I preached
to her was the gospel, was that salvation that's in
Christ, that only hope in which a sinner can die because of Christ
who is the firstborn from the dead. You see, our relationship to
God is by grace and not by law. It's in Christ who is the firstborn
and not in anybody else. Turn with me quickly to Hebrews
12. I want you to look at one more
portion. Hebrews 12, and look down at
verse 18. Now, you can let men and women, whoever they are,
carry you someplace where there never is any peace. such as the law. He says in verse 18, For you
are not come unto the mount that might be touched, that burn with
fire, nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest. And the sound of a trumpet, and
the voice of words, which voice they that heard entreated that
the word should not be spoken to them any more, for they could
not endure that which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touched
the mountain, it should be stoned or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight
that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and That's the mount that God gave
the law to Moses on, Mount Sinai. But it speaks of much more than
that. Because everything that came
down from that mount was a command for a sinner to do and not do. And my friend, none of us, none
of us, could ever stand before God on that principle. Verse
22, But, but, you are come unto Mount Zion, that's a spiritual
mount, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly
and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven,
and to God the Judge of all. and to the spirits of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than
that of Abel." That's where we want to be, in the church of the firstborn. Christ is the firstborn of many
brethren. And may we be found in Him, and
therefore in this brotherhood, and in this church, the church which is His body, the church of the firstborn. He is the preeminent One in all things. If we get anything from God other
than wrath, it will be in Him. And if we get what we get in
Him, we have everything. Everything. Father, this day
we pray that You would take Your Word that sets forth always the singular
glory and salvation that is in Christ. And bless that Word to each heart. Let not my own weakness, Lord, in any way hinder thy great strength. And bring as it pleases you,
each one, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, to be among those many brethren
which you've made to be in Christ the firstborn. We thank you for Him and for
all that people in Him. May everything redound to your
glory, both now and forever. For we pray in Christ, Amen. Thank you.