Christ Like Us

Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect . . . 
 - Hebrews 2

Among the many noble titles ascribed to Jesus, two of my favorite are "The Son of Man," and "The Second Adam."

Where Adam was our one common ancestor: the single common denominator uniquely equipped to represent all of humanity and therefore bring death to our race through his disobedience, so likewise Christ had to be made in such a way that He could do the same.

He to be just like us. Same thoughts, same pains, same temptations. In fact, it is my own rather odd belief that Jesus was a DNA match of Adam. This is one of the reasons Mary was favored. It was why a single nation, or family, was chosen for the development of God's plan. It is why He came "in the fullness of time."

So for a number or reasons it's good that God planned it this way:

• Jesus knows what it's like to be human (the full experience, from the womb to the grave)
• He was Himself qualified and worthy to face the same tests as Adam and defeat sin and death

Perhaps that's why He waited until He was about 30 to begin his ministry. By the time you're 30 you're pretty well settled into your life: who you are, what you will do. You've had to manage a home, pay bills, deal with plenty of adversity, by then.

Perfect . . . 

Reflectionary XXIII

Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
 - Psalm 24

There was a theory that I remember reading about, that Gods could not exist without worshipers. If people ceased to recognize a God, he or she would just fade away into nonexistence. This was, I believe, a classic explanation for what happened to the gods of Greek and Roman mythology.

Now, keeping in mind that the One True God came first (the reverse of the theory above; that is, we disappear when He stops thinking about us), I have to allow that there is some element of truth in the idea. Maybe we do create our own higher beings. They become so real to us that they become . . . well . . . real.

It's all about the untapped power of the human mind; and unknowable force that we can engage, that brings to life our imagination. It can work magic, do wonders, make miracles. It is very easy to dupe humans.

What if we focused that power and energy on the Son of God? If the world stood in perfect unity, looked up, and lifted up the gates of our hearts to Christ; If humanity became accepting of Christ, and prayed Him back to earth to make things right . . . what would happen? Could even God's timetable be changed? (In theory).

The phrase from Psalm 24 looks like a promise: "If this, then that." 

Look up, open the gate . . . and the King will come.

Reflectionary XXII

For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room...
 - Psalm 84:9

A friend of mine quibbles over one distinct detail about the timing of God's Plan for the Ages. He frets that Christ did not return during the First Century. He asserts that Christ, and all the New Testament writers, promised the faithful that Christ would return in their lifetime.

And since Christ didn't return then, my friend finds the Bible guilty of one conclusive error that has thrown the whole thing in doubt for him. 

To have faith means that there are some things we do not, can not, understand. How does a finite, mortal being grasp an eternal concept?

Scripture is full of God's people being required to wait, sometimes for years, even decades, before God would make His next move. Think about Abraham, already an old man, being told one day that his descendants would number as the stars. And then God disappears and goes silent for fifteen years.

Or how about Moses, wandering about for forty years, making no discernible progress towards God's plan for his life.

Joseph sat in a prison for years.

Jacob waited fourteen years to be married to his true love.

John the Revelator spent probably decades alone on an island, expecting Christ to return any second. He never did.

Now consider Adam. God said "On the day you eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, you will die." But of course, he didn't die that day. 

We've all heard the phrase, usually in movies about organized crime: "You're a dead man." Usually this is said to a living person. But we know what is meant. It means your as good as dead. And so it was with Adam. On that day, he became mortal. He began to die.

So the same thinking needs to be applied throughout scripture. When God says something; when he prophesies something; when He promises something, it is as good as done. In reality, it has already been done in eternity. And this is the essence of faith.

When you realize that a day with God is like thousand of our days, then we have begun to get the meaning of God's promises. You cannot be a mortal and attempt to reason out immortal concepts. Just have faith. Believing is seeing.

Reflectionay XXI

For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

This classic text from Malachi looks ahead to Christ's appearance in the Temple, both as a boy of about 12, and years later when he overturned vendors carts in the Temple courtyard. Levi is mentioned - the priestly tribe of Israel. Since we (members of the Church) are called "Priests", then surely it refers to us, the descendants of Levi.

Our role is to be priests in our communities. Think about that. What was the role of the priests? Well, they prayed for the community. In fact they spent a lot of time in prayer, maybe hours a day. They served others. They ensured that the Law was being followed (are we looking after widows, orphans, and aliens? Are we keeping ourselves morally pure?)

God knew that someone has to take on this role. We need a few people to be focused on caring for the congregation, as a full-time avocation. But what if we all accepted that charge?

The text talks about purifying us. Priests (we) must be spotless, or we must become so!

And it ends with a mention of presenting offerings. God wants those bringing forth offerings to Him, through the Temple, to be pure. We are missing out if there are blemishes on our moral spirit. The offering is not readily accepted by the Lord. Our blessing may be hindered.

We need to take it all very seriously. But at the same time, be very thankful to the God that is working so diligently on us!

Reflectionary XX

Even now he lifts up my head above my enemies round about me.

From Psalm 27, we have this interesting statement interspersed in a bunch of declarations about how God is watching over us.

We all know that God certainly does not protect us from all temporal harm. Martyrs are made into saints! We should want misfortune to befall us!

Consider a scenario where you are surrounded by your enemies. If you're bring really honest and open, you might even admit that you are, indeed, always, surrounded by your enemies. 

The Psalmist says that when we are in the midst of certain danger: at the gallows, the electric chair, at the edge of a cliff, in a burning building, being taunted on the job, publicly, or on the Web, or in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves, subject to the whims of someone with greater numbers, or more power, than us, that God God lifts our head up.

He keeps us strong. If we are martyred for the faith, our head, or spirit, is lifted up, and God's kingdom grows. 

It's not about temporal safety, which doesn't matter in the long run. God really does protect is. Just wait.

Reflectionary XIX

"...but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations."

I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. This famous passage of Isaiah 9 is almost always quoted from the words "The people that have been in darkness have seen a great light . . ." It has a lot of relevance to the Christmas season. And it's placement early in the Lectionary year strikes me as a Christmas "afterglow." Very nice.

But today the words above leaped out at me. I am drawn to the prophetic implications, that the prophet is describing a favored country in the latter times (the days prior to the Return of Christ and the End of Time). He talks about the way of the sea; that is, there is land that is reached only by way of the sea; and that this land will be great and prosperous in the end-times. 

Now, this could have been England. From Judea the only way to get to the British Isles, is by making some crossing over water. But any other great country in the world can be found by crossing the land. China, Russia, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, the parts of Africa . . . all of these nations are reachable by land, from Judea.

So by now you're thinking what I am. it must be describing the New World, or possibly Australia. 

The US stood alone at the end of the Second Millennium, as the one sole Great World Power. 

Granted, things are taking a turn in our times. Keep reading. Keep praying . . . 

Reflectionary XVIII

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

In John 1, we read this account of John the Baptist, and his testimony that Jesus is the "Lamb of God."

This declaration is noteworthy because it is one of the earliest accounts of Christ being introduced to the world, along with some description of His purpose.

Why did John, Jesus' cousin, (and the one that presided over the first public act of Jesus' ministry), when the time came to proclaim who Christ is, call Him "the Lamb of God"? Why not "King of Kings?" or "Son of God"?

I don't want to go over concepts that are already more than familiar to the reader. We know about lambs and sheep. We understand the significance in Hebrew culture. Go to maybe ten services in a row, at the same church, and you are almost certain to hear some reference to the Lamb of God, and of it's profound meaning.

My point today is that, as we move our study into the earliest time of Christ's ministry, let us be reminded that the title"Lamb of God" is a critical thing to keep at the front of our thoughts. When you look at Christ, don't ever stop seeing, along with the image of a lion, of a king, a healer, and a counselor, the image of a lamb. 

John was saying: "Here is Jesus. He will be slaughtered like a lamb is sacrificed in our temple. He will be brutally and bloodily executed. But the result will be the removal of all of our sins. Yes - - - that means that we will then be made eligible to live forever."

Always remember . . .