Thankful for Christ

When I think of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am thankful that:

He Humbled Himself: Christ said, “He who sees me, sees the Father.” He claimed equality with God. And rightfully so. He is the Second Person of the Godhead. Co-equal with the Father in power, glory, knowledge, holiness, justice, righteousness, beauty, creative action, humility, and joy. Yet He did not cling to this standing. He did not grasp after it. He was willing to humble Himself and be found in fashion as a man.

In every way, He was human--but without sin. He could smell the stench in the barn the night he was born. He knew hunger and thirst. He knew what it was like to want to rest his feet after a long journey. He felt the sense of accomplishment after a day’s work. He needed his naps. He felt pain.

He humbled Himself. From the highest heights to the lowest depths. He came to the lower parts: the earth. He pitched a tent among us and lived a while. Before He died, He looked forward to returning to the glory He had with the Father. But He never ducked or dodged his mission: to become fully human while remaining God all the while--and make His way to Calvary.

He Fulfilled the Law: Jesus said that not one minute point of the Mosaic Law would go unfulfilled. The countless masses of humans, from the very beginning, failed to meet the standard. Not only did we fail, we rejoiced in our failure. We stoked it into rebellion. We even found a way to be angry at God because He was so right--and we so wrong. It's not our fault, and He has no right to judge!

Some became proud because they actually thought they could meet the standard--and religion was born. I know this temptation. Paul knew this temptation. But God in His mercy took the Law and showed us our failure. The 10 Commandments are an MRI for the soul--a CAT Scan for the inner man. Paul confessed that without the high demands of God righteous standard, he would never have known he was covetous. When Paul realized his sin, he then claimed to be the chief of sinners. If he lays claim to that position--I must admit to running a very close second. (I am a Christian because I DON’T measure up. I’m NOT better than anyone. I DON’T meet the standard. I DON’T pass inspection. I’m guilty and worthy of rejection by a holy God. This is true.)

But Christ does meet the standard.

He surpasses it. He excels. He never had one deviation from absolute conformity to God’s law. Not one microscopic speck of corruption was in Him.

1. As a man, He always worshipped the true God with all His heart and all His soul.

2. Of course, He never considered a false god. He knew that not all paths lead to God. God defines Himself for us. We do not define God for us.

3. He never used God’s name in a profane or common way.

4. He knew the true sense of the Sabbath and kept it in His heart.

5. He honored His parents, even when He felt the need to get about His Heavenly Father’s business. He went down from Jerusalem and was subject to them.

6. He never murdered and cursed anyone in His heart.

7. He never lusted. Period. Adultery was far from Him. His purity is blinding white.

8. He didn’t steal. Even when He hungered 40 days, he refrained from using His power amiss to make bread.

9. He always told the truth. When He told His disciples that He would make a place for them He said, “If it were not so, I would have told you.” Simple.

10. He never coveted. The very point to which even Paul admits failure. This point where the best of men show themselves to be men at best. He never longed for what was not His. (After all, He had already willingly forfeited the highest glories in heaven!)

Christ amassed enough merit, enough righteousness as the Second Adam to redeem the entire human race. In Adam all die. In the Second Adam--all who come to Him--can live.


He Atoned for My Sin: Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. The Old Testament sacrificial system trumpets this truth. Why? Because the wages, the due results, of sin is death. Since the life of the flesh is in the blood, blood must be poured out. A death sentence must be executed.

God, in His wisdom, allowed for substitutes. But the substitutes had to be innocent and spotless. Lambs. Lambs are innocent. And only the spotless ones will do. These sacrifices never took away sin, however. They pointed to the true sacrifice. Christ, the Lamb of God took my place. His pure blood was poured out on my behalf. He absorbed God wrath against John Rush. John Rush is guilty. It was my fault.

The wisdom of God has decreed a way for the love of God to deliver sinners from the wrath of God all the while upholding the righteousness of God.” - John Piper

I thank God for this.

He Rose Again: His sacrifice was accepted. He body resurrected. He conquered death. Up from the grave He arose... after three days. He delivers us from the fear of death. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He is the first-born out from the dead.

Is it hard to believe that God can and will raise the dead? It was just as hard to believe this in the first century as it is now. Yet the gospel swept the world. Although relatively few bow the knee to Christ in comparison with the world’s population, millions have--and will continue to receive Him until He comes.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is rooted in the space/time continuum. If it is false, all of Christianity is a fraud. We admit this. But we stake our lives on it.

He Saves Sinners: Like I said, I am a Christian because I am NOT good enough. I can’t meet the standard. But Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world could be saved through Him. How is this done?

Not through religious schedules.
Not through religious ceremonies.
Not through self-help advancement.
Not through effort.

It is done by faith. Faith is not taking a blind leap into a self-created existence. It is trusting someone. In this case--Christ.

Faith is not faith mixed with works. It is faith alone. If I had to work or produce one unit of merit in order to be brought to God, I would fail miserably.

Christ is willing to put His merit on my account and cancel my sin debt.

The transaction is a transaction of faith alone. That’s how someone as unworthy as I am can be brought to God.

I thank God for this.