If you'll turn back with me now
to Acts chapter 13, I want to work on this one verse. He said, Through this man is
preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Now, when the apostle declared
his call to the ministry to the Galatian church, he said that God called him by
His grace to reveal His Son in him that He might preach him
among the heathen. And when he recalled his ministry
to the Corinthians, he said, I determine not to know anything
among you save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. When he talked about the same
thing to the Ephesian church, he declared Christ to be the
conduit through which all the blessings of God would come to
chosen sinners. And then to the church at Colossae,
he said, Christ is all. I wonder this morning as I look
around this room, What is Christ to you? What is Christ to you? It's my calling and my responsibility
to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who meet in this
place, all whom God in His providence leads this way, comes here, sits
here, and listens to me. It's my responsibility to preach
unto them the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I often think about
that. Have I? Have I? God has led them here. God has
brought you here this morning. And in other times, have I preached
the gospel to you? Have I truly set before you the
gospel of Jesus Christ? When I was going to school and
a teacher wanted to know if they was getting across to their students,
they used to have a pop quiz. I hated pop quizzes. They just,
you come in one morning and you think everything's going just
fine. And she'd get up and she'd say, alright, pop quiz. That's how you find out. That's
how you find out if you're getting across what you're teaching to
those who are listening. No time to study, no time to
memorize, just a test to reveal what you truly know. And I wonder
this morning if I were to have a pop quiz what it would reveal. I wonder if I were to ask you
to write down in your own words why Jesus Christ must take to
himself the form of a man. How many could give me what the
Bible declares about that? Can you answer that question
this morning? This man Jesus Christ. This is
what Paul is telling these Gentiles. They didn't know beans from apple
butter about what he was preaching. And he went all the way back
to the beginning and he recanted the history of Israel all the
way down and told them that through this man, Jesus of Nazareth,
this man, flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone, he was a person
just like we are. Through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sin. Who is this man, Jesus Christ? Can you answer in your own words
and in your own heart, why must the Son of God be made flesh
and live in this world? I wonder if I were to ask you
this morning, what he accomplished in his 33 and a half years on
this earth? Could you tell me? What do you know about Jesus
Christ? Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. Do I? Do I? John said, and we know that the
Son of God has come and has given to us an understanding that we
may know Him that is true, that we are in Him that is true, Even
in His Son, Jesus Christ, this is the true God in eternal life. Now, I'm not going to give you
a pop quiz this morning, but I tell you, you'll do yourself
a great service if you ask yourself these things that I'm asking
this morning. But what I do purpose to do is
to go over some of these fundamental truths and refresh your memory.
Who is this man, Jesus Christ, and why was it necessary for
him to become flesh and blood, live among us to adulthood, and
then suffer and die on the cross? Well, religion said salvation
is by inspiration. If I'm understanding, I try to
understand what they're saying. I listen to them occasionally.
And I listen to them, and I get the idea that they're saying
that salvation is by inspiration. Men are in a bad way, and they
need to be inspired to turn from their evil ways, to be willing
to serve the Lord and to commit themselves to inspire others. That salvation is a thing of
inspiration. I must be inspired. You know,
a lot of times, I hate to use this analogy, but car salesmen,
they'll gather in all the salesmen into a room and they try to inspire
them so when they go back out there they can inspire others
to buy them cars, you know, and they pump them all up. And that's
what religion kind of does because they believe salvation is through
inspiration. Religion said salvation is by
works, by keeping of days and certain laws and duties and living
a moral life as best you can. Religion says salvation is by
your will. Men and women are pressed to
exercise their so-called free will and to make a decision to
turn their lives around and live a life honoring to God. Now,
I want you to listen to me for just a second. None of these
things require that the Son of God be made a man. Do they? None of these things. None of
these things require that the Son of God should become a man
or that the Son of God as a man should live under the law or
die a cruel and shameful death. All of these things could be
accomplished without that. So what are you saying, preacher?
I'm saying that the person and work of Jesus Christ is inconsequential
in religion. It don't matter. It don't matter. He's not the heart of their religion. He's not the heart of their faith.
Jesus Christ is just another phase of it, another part of
it, a portion of it. He's not all. If salvation is
by inspiration, what need would there be of the God-man? Why
would we need a God-man if salvation is by works and the deeds of
the law? Where is the need of a Savior?
If salvation is of the will of man, why must the Son of God
appear as a man and do the will of God, accomplish the will of
God? And the truth is Jesus Christ
is of no value at all in the ministry of religion, and that's
why He's not being preached to men today. In the salvation of sinners,
there's no other way. There's no other way. Why must
Jesus Christ be born of a woman and take on Himself the form
of a servant, become obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross? Let me give you several reasons
this morning. First of all, because this is
the eternal purpose of God. God purposed for Him to become
a man. He purposed that. Listen to this
here in 2 Timothy 1, verses 9 and 10. You can turn over there with
me if you'd like to. I'd like for you to read it with
me. 2 Timothy 1, verses 9 and 10. The verse begins with the word
who, but I'm going to substitute the word God because that's what
he's talking about. And he says, God has saved us
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest
by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished
death and has brought life and immortality to light. through
the Gospels. The reason for creation, the
reason for mankind, the reason for the fall and for the preservation
of the world is God's eternal purpose of grace in Jesus Christ. And He did it for the glory of
His name. In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse
9, it tells us that God's redemptive will is a mystery. And this mystery
is made known to His people, and it culminates in the gathering
of all things to Christ, both which are in heaven, which are
on earth. And that according to this redemptive will, verse
11, we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel
of His own will. Why did Jesus Christ, why must
He be made flesh and bones? Why must He become a man? Because
God purposed salvation through Him to manifest and fulfill God's
everlasting purpose of grace. Why must the Son of God take
upon Himself flesh and blood and live as other men do, accountable
to God? Here's the second reason. because
of his eternal appointments of God. God appointed him to certain
offices. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Christ
is not something God came up with out of desperation. His
appointments were from everlasting. Paul told the church at Colossae
that Jesus Christ is the firstborn of all creation. The firstborn of every creature.
that by Him were all things created that are in heaven, 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. He tells us that He is before
all things, and by Him all things consist, and that He is the head
of 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. God appointed
Him as the surety of His everlasting covenant of grace. Listen here
to what Isaiah says back here in Isaiah 42 verse 1. He said, Behold My servant. He's
talking now about the Christ who was to come. He hadn't appeared
yet. And he said, Behold my servant
whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Verse
6, I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold
thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant
of the people for a light to the Gentiles. He is the covenant
surety of God. God made with Himself, with the
triune God, He made with Himself an everlasting covenant of grace. And this covenant of grace He
made for the salvation of His people. The psalmist David, the
very last words of this man, I read to you a while ago what
Paul said, that God said he was a man after His own heart. Here's
the sweet psalmist of Israel. Here's the author of the Psalms.
Here's the king of Israel, the man after God's own heart. And
he's dying, and these are his last words. He said, although
it be not so with my house, yet God hath made with me an everlasting
covenant of grace. It's ordered in all things, and
it's sure. Why is it sure? because of its surety. And he
said, this is all my salvation and all my desire, whether he
makes it to grow or whether he doesn't. This is all my hope,
all my desire is in this covenant surety, this covenant that God
has made on my behalf. He is the covenant surety of
His people. His blood is called in Hebrews
13.20, the blood of the everlasting covenant. God appointed him as
the surety of His everlasting covenant of grace. And secondly,
God appointed him as the head of the church. What does that
mean? That means the federal head. The federal head. As Adam was
the federal head of all mankind, Christ is the federal head of
the church. Listen to this over in Romans
chapter 5 and verse 18. He says, therefore, as by the
offense of one, judgment came upon all men, that is, all men
represented in their father Adam. Judgment came upon all men to
condemnation. Even so, by the righteousness
of one, the free gift came upon all men, that is, all men represented
by Christ their Head, unto justification of life. Jesus Christ was made
a man to represent the men chosen of God in Him before the foundation
of the world. He's the last Adam. He's called
the second man in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 47. Now wait a minute,
preacher. According to the genealogy given
over in Genesis 4, verse 1, Cain was the second man, wasn't he? How can Paul then say that Christ
was the second man? How can Jesus Christ be called
the second man? Because Adam was the first federal
head of men, and Christ was the second. And I'm not talking about
in order of his appointment, but in order of the revelation. Who's the second man? 1 Corinthians
15, 47 says, the second man is the Lord from heaven. That's
the second man. And then thirdly, he was appointed
as our high priest. He's our federal head. He's our
representative. I'm telling you, that ought to
grab hold of your heart this morning, and it will if God ever
reveals it to you and you see what that second man is all about.
It ought to grab our hearts that we have a representative. We
have one who came and lived in our stead, who put himself willfully
under that law, under that law that had cursed us and condemned
us and put us under the wrath of God. And he came under that
law as a man, as a representative man. And he lived and obeyed
that law on my account. on my account. Oh, I tell you,
he was wholly harmless and undefiled. You know what that means to me?
I'm wholly harmless and undefiled. Huh? If he's my representative.
I have a righteousness in Him. And I tell you this, if you see
that, if you ever get hold of that, if that revelation ever
comes, bursts forth in your heart, and you see that, you see this
man here, you see him as your representative, as your righteousness
before God, you quit trying to work one out. Oh my soul, He is the Lord from
heaven. And then He was appointed a high
priest. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
7. Where did this whole thing of priest
and priesthood, where did this all come from? Well, God ordained
a priesthood as a picture. As a picture. And he ordained this priesthood
in Israel. And he set all kinds of things
for them to do, which were types and symbols and pictures. Now,
you don't need to take my word for that. You can read it in
Hebrews chapter 9. But here in Hebrews chapter 7, he's talking
about the priesthood of Christ. And we no longer have a priesthood,
but we're spiritual priests under one great high priest, which
is Christ the Lord. And what I'm saying is that Jesus
of Nazareth came into this world as a man because God appointed
Him as our everlasting priest. Now here in Hebrews chapter 7,
Paul tells us several things about the old high priest and
the new. The old priest, he tells us,
was a Levite. He came from the Levitical tribe. He came from the tribe of the
Levites. Jesus Christ came from the tribe
of Judah, Hebrews 7, verses 12 through 14. And then it's further
evident that Jesus Christ was after another priest, another
priest that was totally different from Aaron, the old high priest,
verse 16. He was made not after the law
of carnal commandments, but after the power of an endless life. Verse 17, For he testifieth,
Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a priest that
met Abraham on the way after that battle of the kings when
they took his nephew prisoner, and to whom he gave tithes of
all his possessions. And it says of that old priest,
Melchizedek, I believe this was a a picture, not a picture, but
an appearance of Jesus Christ before he was born into this
world. But this man, it says of this man Melchizedek, he had
neither beginning of days nor end of life. And because of the
God-man's priesthood, verse 24, he has an unchangeable priesthood. There's no need for one to replace
him because he never dies. There's no need for another priest
because he's never disobedient. There's no need for another priesthood.
There's no need for any change in his priesthood because he's
a perfect priest. Wherefore, verse 25, he is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. How does Jesus Christ
as our priest make intercession for us? He intercedes by His
perfect righteousness and by His perfect atonement, His blood. He intercedes for us. He pleads
His blood and righteousness. Jesus Christ was appointed and
decreed by God from the beginning as the high priest of spiritual
Israel, and His intercession is on their behalf, and it is
effectual, and it cannot be disannulled. Hebrews 9, verse 11 says, Jesus
Christ, being come a high priest of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." So we have
a priest. God appointed him as our priest.
God appointed him as our federal head. God appointed him as our
surety, the surety of this everlasting covenant of grace. And then,
fourthly, he was appointed as Jehovah Kaddish. the Lord who
sanctifies thee." God chose us in Christ that we should be holy,
without blame, before Him in love. And Jesus Christ is our
sanctification. Paul tells us in Hebrews chapter
10, verse 10, that by the accomplishing of the will of God, the redemptive
will of God, We are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. Once for all. And then in 1 Corinthians
1.30 he said, But of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, now listen, sanctification and
redemption. And then, fifthly, Jesus Christ
must become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone because
God appointed Him as the one mediator between God and men. Nobody else can mediate peace
except Jesus Christ. There is no peace anywhere else.
To make peace with God, our sins must be put away. To honor God's
law and satisfy His divine justice, our sins must receive a due recompense
of reward. God cannot suffer and man cannot
satisfy, but the God-man can do both. And there's one mediator. That's what the Scripture says.
Just one. And it's not the Pope. And it's
not the preacher. There's one mediator between
God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Why is this knowledge so important?
Why must these things take priority in our ministry? Because Peter
said, there's none other name under heaven given among men
whereby we must be saved. That's why. And you can't know
God apart from Christ. You cannot approach God apart
from Christ. And no man, he said, cometh unto
the Father but by me. He tells them in that same chapter
over in John, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Let me read this here in Acts
13, verse 38 again. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins. And by him all that believe are
justified from all things which could not be justified by the
law of Moses. And just like Israel, Just like
Israel who took Him out and sought Pilate to kill Him and sought
Pilate to have their way with Him. To hang Him on their cross.
Just like they did that in total ignorance and rebellion. Didn't
know who He was. And God had His way. Even so,
He said, there's some of you that are going to hear what I'm
saying. And the Word of God is going to be fulfilled in your
unbelief. And it wasn't. Two minutes after
Paul said that, that the Jews said, we're not going to hear
you anymore. And he said, seeing you judge
yourselves as unworthy of everlasting life, he said, lo, I turn to
the Gentile. And it said, they were glad.
They were glad. And I tell you, you will be glad,
too, if you ever see what I'm talking about this morning. Who
is this man, Jesus Christ? Religion just pops him up here
and they try to inspire people. They try to put him up here as
a martyr and they try to make him out to be this and that and
something else. It's not the doctrine of Christ
that they try to get across to people. It's the image. We'll
build a statue. We'll picture him on the cross.
We'll picture him with the nails in his hands. Oh, my soul, I've
never seen a picture or a statue of Jesus Christ sitting on the
throne. Have you? He ain't on that cross. He's
at the right hand of God. He's not some poor, defeated
reformer. He accomplished the will of God.
And God justified us through Him and made public declaration
of it when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at the right
hand of God. And now Paul said, We preach
to you through this man the forgiveness of sin. That's what I want. When
I'm done up here on Sunday morning, Wednesday evening, whenever I'm
preaching to you or teaching Sunday school lesson or whatever,
when everything is said and done, this is what I want to get across
to you. I want you to know whom you believe. I want you to know
who He is, why He came, what He did, and where He's at. And
if you know that in your heart and believe it, you're saved.
You're a saved person. You know God. You've got a good
hope through grace. But you don't know that, you're
just religious. And you're just spinning your
wheels.