What Jesus Became and Remains

Hebrews chapter 4, we're going to begin reading at verse 14.! Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray since he himself is subject to weakness.

This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. No one takes this honor upon himself. He must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

And so Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming high priest. But God said to him, You are my son.

Today I become your father. And he says in another place, You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.

And he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. And once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

And was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. For the month of December, we're studying the high mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

The old Princeton theologian B.B. Warfield said, The doctrine of the incarnation is the hinge on which the whole Christian system turns.

Without the incarnation, we have no biblical Christianity. So what we're studying this morning is not something out on the fringes of importance, but it's right at the heart of all true saving religion.

That the eternal Son of God became a man in order to save chosen sinners from endless torments. Now we've been looking, beginning last week and again this morning, at the wonder of the incarnation.

And the wonder of Christ's incarnation is seen as we look at what he was and what he became. What he was was God.

What he became was man. We saw it last week in John chapter 1. What he was was the one who has existed from all eternity. Who in the beginning already was.

The one who is the creator of all things that exist. The one who is himself God. And yet is God with God.

That one, John tells us, became flesh. That's what he was. And what he became was flesh.

Humanity. A human being. And so today, we want to examine more closely his humanity. We saw last week that when he became man, he did not cease to be God.

Rather, he continued to be what he always was, God. And he began to be what he never before had been, man.

Now, what is that man that he became? What kind of humanity did he take? And the Bible answers, ours.

A humanity just like ours. If you have your Bibles open to Hebrews 4, look over to chapter 2. Chapter 2 and verse 14.

We're asking the question, what kind of humanity did Jesus take? What kind of man did he become? And Hebrews 2.14 says, since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.

It was our humanity that he shared in. And then in verse 16 and 17, the author further emphasizes this, that he didn't come to save angels.

So he wasn't made like an angel. He didn't take the nature of an angel. Rather, he came to help and to save Abraham's descendants. And so, verse 17 says, for this reason, he had to be made like his brothers in every way.

I don't think we give enough emphasis to those words. Like his brothers in every way. The humanity that Jesus took was our humanity.

A humanity just like ours in every way. Sin only accepted. That's the only difference between Jesus, humanity, and ours.

And we see that in chapter 4 and verse 15. So, Paul says in Philippians 2, that this one who by very nature is God, equal with God, made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, being made just like human beings.

That's what Paul means. Possessing all the characteristics and attributes of man. He assumed our humanity.

He took our form of existence. He took our nature. So it was a real, full humanity just like ours.

Now, what is a human being? Well, a human being is a body, soul creature. Sometimes we wrongly say, the real me lives inside of this body.

Oh, no, it doesn't. The real me is this body and that thing inside of me that you don't see. We are not just souls dangling out in space.

We are body, soul creatures. And humanity is a body, soul creature. And that's what Jesus became. So we're going to see the first point this morning is that Jesus Christ had a human body.

A human body. And the first thing I want to say about that body is that it was a real body. A real body. Not a phantom body. Not a ghost body.

Not an apparition, an illusion, a mere appearance of a body as the ascetic Gnostics were teaching in New Testament times. No, it was a real body.

And the New Testament goes to great ends to prove that to us. It was a body not just seen, but a body that was handled.

He had real arms that held real children in them. He had a real mouth that ate real food. And that greeted others with a holy kiss.

He had a face that was beaten. He had a beard that was ripped out. He had a back that was torn open with a cat of nine tails.

He had a head that was pierced with crown of thorns. Hands, feet, a side that were pierced.

Real blood that shed. It was a body like yours and mine. It was a real body is what the Bible is telling us. The Apostle John witnesses to this reality in 1 John chapter 1, 1 and 2.

He says that which was from the beginning. This is his epistle now. And he starts his epistle on the back of his gospel. That which was from the beginning.

Which we have heard. Which we have looked at. And what our hands have touched. Concerning the word of life. The life appeared.

We have seen it and testified to it. And we proclaim to you the eternal life. Which was with the Father. And has appeared to us. We heard. We saw.

We handled. It was a real body. Second thing we want to see is that it was an ordinary body. Just like yours. And mine.

We said it last week. There was no halo. Around. Jesus. There in the manger. Or subsequently. Throughout his life.

No. He looked like any other. Normal. Jewish. Baby boy. In Luke 2. And verse 52. We're told Jesus grew in nature.

Or in stature. I should say. He grew in stature. That means his body grew. And matured. Just like yours did. He went through all those.

Nine months of development. In the womb of the Virgin Mary. And then he was born. And he came forth. Just like any other baby boy. And he was weak.

And helpless. And dependent upon. His mother's milk. For survival. He was completely. As needy. As any other.

Newborn baby. Is needy. All he could do. Was lie there. And cry. And then. Somewhere between.

Four and seven months. Or thereabouts. He started rolling over. His muscles. Finally gained. Enough strength. To. Sit up. And from seven.

To ten months. He started. Crawling. For the first time. And then pulling himself up. And standing. On his wobbly legs. And then around a year. He began walking.

For the first time. It was an ordinary. Body. That he took. Some of you kids. On the back side. Of your doors.

At home. May have marks. Marking your height. At every. Birthday. Jesus. Was once. That tall. Then that tall. Then that tall. He was once your age.

Jesus. Grew. In stature. In physical stature. Developing from. A baby. To a child. An adolescent. To a man.

Like us. In every way. And so he looked like. Any ordinary man. I don't believe. That you could pick him. Out of a crowd. Simply by his appearance.

There were no. Distinguishing features. That set him apart. From other men. As being God. That's why. They didn't know. Who he was. They didn't know.

That God. Had visited them. His body. Was too ordinary. For most of them. To believe. He was anything. But a man. And Isaiah. 53. 2 and 3.

Isaiah. Tells us. He had no beauty. Or majesty. To attract us. There was no. Glory. Cloud. No majesty.

About his appearance. To attract us. To him. Nothing. In his appearance. That we should. Desire him. And that's why. He was despised.

And rejected. By men. It was not. A superhuman. Body. With superhuman. Strength. But a finite. Body. Like yours. With all the limitations.

That you face. And that's the third point. It was a body. With limitations. Subject to the effects. Of the fall. That means. That there was only. So much weight.

His arms could lift. It means. That there was. Only so far. That his eyes. Could see. There only. It was only. So far. That his ears.

Could hear. That his feet. Could. Could run. Only so fast. Only so long. That he could go. Without eating. It was a body. With the same. Nutritional.

Chemistry. And needs. That yours has. A body. That needed. Sleep. And rest. A body. That sinks. On water. Just like yours. And Peter's.

A body. That could only be. At one place. At one time. Now it's true. That his deity. Enabled him.

To do things. That no mere human. Could. But that was not. Because. His body. Was some superhuman. Body. No. He took an ordinary. Body.

A body. A body. With the. Limitations. A body. With the. Subject to. The effects. Of the fall.

Just like your body. It was a body. Susceptible to weakness. To exhaustion. To hunger. To thirst. To sickness. To pain. Even.

Death. Like yours. And so we find him. In the gospels. Hungry. Don't we? We find him so exhausted. That he's spent. He's done in at noon. And sits on the well.

While the others go in for lunch. We find him sleeping. In the midst of a storm at sea. Totally. Wiped out. His body was subject to weakness.

Hunger. Thirst. We hear him crying. I thirst. I'm thirsty. We see him sweating drops of blood.

Crying. Dying. A body with nerve endings. By which he felt pain. Just like we do. So when he fell down and skinned his knees.

Kids. It hurt him. And when they drove nails through his hands and feet. It hurt him. A body. Subject.

To all the limitations. And effects. Of the fall. Now. We need to understand. As we think about the humanity. That Jesus took. And his body.

That he took. That the incarnation. Is not merely. God in a body. We shouldn't think. Oh I know now. What the incarnation is. It's God in a body.

As if his body. Was just some. Form. Or some. Mask. Or costume.

That he wore. That he put it on. While he came. And visited us. No. The Bible says. This humanity. That he took.

Was something. That he became. He became. It wasn't just something. He wore. External. To who he was. No. He became. Man.

The word. Became. Flesh. Was made. Human. So that it is now. Part of who he is. It is now. A very part.

Of. Of. Who and what he is. Just like your body. Is a part of who. And what you are. So Jesus. Humanity.

Is far more. Than just God. In a body. It's. It's. It's far more. Than just the fact. That Jesus. Took a physical body. We shouldn't think.

The incarnation. Is just deity. Taking on. A human body. There are texts. That emphasize this. And sometimes. I think it causes.

People to think. Well that's all. The. That's all. The incarnation is. It's just God. Taking a human body. Like Colossians. Two.

Nine. For in Christ. All the fullness. Of the deity. Lives. In bodily. Form. Or first. Timothy 3. 16. Speaking of God.

He appeared. In. A body. And. And we can read. Those kind of statements. But we air. If we press them. To mean.

That all the incarnation. Was. Was God. Taking a body. God. Taking a human body. Don't press. Those texts. That way. They were made. These statements.

Were made. To emphasize. The real body. Of Jesus. That he took. Because that was. The very thing. Being denied. By Gnostic elements. In the church. In the first century.

The Gnostics. Of the first century. Held to a form. Of dualism. That said. Material things. Anything. That can be.

Touched. And felt. Material things. Are evil. The immaterial things. Are good. And that was their. The foundation. Of their thought life.

And how they viewed. Reality. And so. They could not. Abide the fact. That. God. Would take. A material body. A real.

Physical body. They said. Can't be. And so. The New Testament. Is. At great pains. To show. No. He did take.

A real body. The deity. Lives. In bodily form. And. He. He appeared. In a body. And the apostle. John. Makes it clear.

That no true Christian. Will deny this. First. John. Four. One to three. Dear friends. Do not believe. Every spirit. But test. The spirits. To see whether. They are from God.

God. Because many. False prophets. Have gone out. Into the world. This is how you can recognize. The spirit of God. Every spirit.

That acknowledges. That Jesus Christ. Has come. In the flesh. Is from God. But every spirit. That does not acknowledge.

Jesus. Is not from God. This is the spirit. Of the antichrist. Which you have heard. Is coming. And now. Is already. In the world. They denied.

That. Christ. Had come. In the flesh. They denied. What John says. In his gospel. That the eternal word. Was made. Flesh. And that proved.

These men. To be void. Of the spirit. Of God. To rather be. Of the spirit. Of the antichrist. You see. You don't have to understand. Everything. About the. Incarnation. Of Jesus. But you do.

Have to believe. It. Or you do not. Belong. To God. That's what John. Is saying. Because the Holy Spirit. Always teaches. This. To those.

He indwells. It's how you know. Who are from God. And who are not. So the real. Physical. Body. Of Jesus. Is an important. Aspect. Of the incarnation. But it is not.

All. That took place. In the incarnation. It is not. All. Of the humanity. That Jesus. Took. Any more. Than your body. Is everything. That there is. To you. No.

You're a body. Soul. Creature. You're more. Than a body. And so. Is the humanity. Of Jesus. He became. Like us. In every way. So the second thing. We need to understand.

About the incarnation. Is that Jesus Christ. Had. A human soul. That immaterial. Part. That part. You can't see. Or touch. He had a.

Human soul. And that includes. A human mind. Human emotions. A human will. A human conscience. As a man.

He had. Ordinary. Human emotions. So in the gospels. We see him angry. We see him. Downright. Indignant. We see him loving.

We see him hating. We see him pitying. We see him rejoicing. We see him enjoying company. We find him amazed.

Astounded. Surprised. In awe. Of God. Of his creation. Of providence.

Of the unbelief. Of men. We see him calm. And peaceful. At rest. We find him distressed.

Troubled. Overwhelmed. With sorrow. Even fearful. At the approach. Of the cross. And the death. Of the cross. We find him a man of sorrows.

Acquainted with grief. We find him discouraged. We find him feeling abandoned. And forsaken. And yet. All of this. Without. One taint.

Of sin. There was never. Anything of sin. In his anger. Or in any of his human emotions. When he was afraid.

He put his trust in God. There was no unbelief. In Jesus. And when he was discouraged. And feeling a failure. He hung to the.

Clung to the promises of God. God. And the character of God. When he walked in the dark. He relied. On the name of the Lord. His God. It was an ordinary.

Ordinary. Human. Emotions. That Jesus took. He had a soul. That included. Ordinary. Human will. We find. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Constantly.

As a man. Making decisions. And choices. Based on the information. That he had. That's how you make your decisions. Based on the information you have.

You make decisions. And we find Jesus. Choosing 12 disciples. We find him. Choosing Peter. James. And John. As his intimate. Circle of friends. We find him.

Choosing John. To look after Mary. After. He was gone. We find him. Choosing to ride on a donkey. Choosing to restore Peter. After he denied him.

Three times. We find him. Choosing to. To not turn the stones. Into bread. And to not jump from the temple. Rooftop. To not bow down. And worship.

Choices. A human will. We find him. Choosing the way. Of the cross. Over some easier way. We find him.

Saying. Not my will. But yours. Be done. Jesus had a human will. And he submitted it.

To his father's will. Perfectly. And then we find him. Most interestingly. With ordinary human. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind.

Mind. Or intellect. The humanity of Jesus. Involved. A mind. Mind. And in contrast.

To his divine mind. His human mind. Had limitations. Just like yours does. Now. The Bible is silent. About Jesus.

From age 12. To 30. But the last thing. We hear about Jesus. At age 12. Is found in Luke. Chapter 2. Verse 52.

To. To. So. Right after. He was found. In the temple. Talking with the chief priests. And teachers of the law. And he went back. To Nazareth.

And submitted himself. To his parents. And then. Luke says. In Luke 2. 52. And Jesus grew. In wisdom. In stature. And in favor.

With God. And man. Jesus grew. In wisdom. That means. Just like you. His human mind.

Didn't know everything. At once. It was capable. Of increasing. In knowledge. And wisdom. It was. It was capable.

Of learning. There was a time. When Jesus. Didn't know how to count. To 10 kids. That's right. He had to learn. That. His human mind. Learned to count. To 10.

Then he had it. He learned. To put words. Into sentences. He learned. About the world. He lived in. He learned. About history. There was a time. He didn't know.

Who Abraham was. And then. His human mind. Was instructed. With regard. To Abraham. He. His human mind.

Was ever. Learning more. About God. His human mind. Was ever. Learning more. About his own. Identity. And mission. Here in this world. He learned.

To memorize. Bible verses. Like you do. He grew. In wisdom. That means. He was more wise. At 13. Than he was at 12. And he was more wise. Still at 30.

Than he was at 13. And yet. Even when he was 30. And grown. To full stature. Of manhood. There were still things. He did not know. Like the date.

Of his own glorious return. To this earth. To judge. The living. And the dead. His human mind.

Didn't know that date. Mark. 13. 32. No one knows. About that day. Or hour. Not even the angels. In heaven. Nor the sun. But only the father.

Not the ancient. Mayans. Of Guatemala. Or those who study them. And say that December. 25th. 21st.

Is the end of the world. No. Jesus says. The son of man. Does not know. Now that's a strong.

Statement. About the human nature. Of Jesus. He knows. He's coming back. But he doesn't know. The date.

Or the time. When. There were other things. He didn't know. He didn't know. Who touched him. In the crowd.

And was made whole. For doing so. And so he stopped. And he turned around. And he said. Who touched me? And he kept. Looking around. To see who it was.

That touched him. He didn't know. If the fig tree. Had any figs. On it or not. From a distance. So.

He drew near. To find out. Quote. If there. If it had any fruit. And when he got. Close enough. To see. With his human eyes. And his human mind.

He realized. There was nothing. But leaves. His human nature. Was not omniscient. He didn't know.

That Nathaniel. Was under a fig tree. When. When Philip. Called him. Any more than. You know. Where I was. At 3. 30 yesterday afternoon. It was an ordinary.

Mind. That Jesus took. When. He became. Flesh. Human. Being. Body. And soul.

Human. Mind. Mind. So. If there's something. Jesus doesn't know. It proves the reality. Of his human nature. A human mind. That. That.

Was capable of. Growing. In wisdom. And learning. Things. Finding out. Things. Discovering. Things. How did he do that? How did he discover. Things. How did he grow.

In knowledge. And wisdom. Well. As a man. He must learn. By what he sees. In creation. The creation. Reveals. Truth. Doesn't it? By what he sees. In providence.

By what he read. In his old testament. Scriptures. But then. Jesus had another. His human mind. Had another. Source. Of information.

That yours. And mine. Does not have. And that is. That he learned. From that. Intimate. And seemingly. Constant. Stream. Of conversation. That he had.

With his heavenly. Father. Who taught him. Constantly. Talking. To each other. So that. Jesus says. In Isaiah 50.

Verse 4. The sovereign Lord. Has given me. An instructed tongue. To know the word. That sustains the weary. He wakens me. Morning by morning. Wakens my ear. To listen. Like one being taught.

Good morning. Father. What do you want. To teach me today? And there was this. Constant. Conversation. And fellowship. Direct revelation.

Of God. To his son. The father. To the son. And so. The human mind. Of Jesus. Was increasing. In knowledge. And wisdom. And yet.

The new testament. Tells us. At the very same time. That it introduces us. To the fact. That Jesus. Had a human mind. That didn't know. Everything. That he also. Had a divine mind.

That knew everything. And was omniscient. And so he. He didn't need anybody.

To testify to him. About what was in a man. He already knew. He knew. What men were thinking. Even though they didn't.

Say anything. He knew. That there would be. A four drop. McCoin. In the first fish. That Peter caught. On a line. That he put out.

To sea. He knew. That. Nathaniel. Was under that fig tree. Far off. In the distance. When Philip. Called him.

He knew. The kind of death. That Peter would die. And that. Stranger. That he met. At the well. Of Sychar. He knew. How many men.

She had been married to. In her present. Marital status. He knew. Where that. Colt. Would be tied. In the town. Miles away. And what its owners.

Would say. When. They went. To fetch it. He knew. The fate. Of Jerusalem. You see. As God.

Remember. When he became man. He remained God. So as God. He was omniscient. He had a. A divine nature. That knew everything. Now if I confused you.

We're ready for the. The application. All right. All of this. The Bible itself. Presses home to us. Four concluding. Lessons. Four conclusions.

Or lessons. The first one. Is that the incarnation. Means that Jesus Christ. Has two. Natures. He's unlike.

Any other person. You know. A rock. Has the. The nature. Of a rock. The nature. Is just the. The sum total. Of its characteristics. And attributes. Of existence.

A rock. Has a. Nature of a rock. An angel. Has an angel. Nature. God has. A divine nature.

Man has. A human nature. Nature. But Jesus. Has two natures. He is at one. In the same time. Possessing.

A divine nature. Fully God. And at the same time. A human nature. Fully man. That means. That he has. A divine mind. That knows all things.

And. At the same time. He has a human mind. That does not know. Everything. He has divine emotions. Human emotions. Divine will.

Human will. A divine consciousness. And a human consciousness. And yet. He is not. Two persons. One person. With two natures.

And those natures. Are not blended. You don't put those two natures. In a blender. And push. Puree. And mix them. In some way. Combine them. Into one nature.

No. The Bible won't allow us. To believe that. Why not? Because Jesus doesn't know. When he's coming. You see. The divine nature. Didn't blend. With the human mind. You have these two natures.

Inseparably. United. In one person. And the Bible. Doesn't explain that. It doesn't explain. The psychology. Of Jesus. How did that work.

In Jesus. Psychology. In his. Consciousness. Doesn't explain it. How did these two. Natures work. In the one person.

He was not a schizophrenic. He was not a man. With multiple personalities. One personality. He was no Jekyll and Hyde. His two natures.

Worked in perfect harmony. Side by side. And the New Testament. Records that.

Without any contradiction. Now how that. Is. Is an inexhaustible. Mystery. But by now. We should expect. Mystery. When. Dealing.

With divine. Things. Those who would. Seek to remove. This mystery. Do so. By denying. One or the other. Denying his humanity. Or denying. His deity. We. Was reading.

This week. Of. Theologian. That just. Says that. This idea. Of two natures. Just quote. Does violence. To man's intelligence. To believe such things. Well then.

Let man. Bring his puny. Intelligence. And bow. At the feet. Of gods. Let God. Be true. And let. Every man. Be a liar. The New Testament. Reveals. This one person.

Jesus. As having. The full nature. Of God. And the full nature. Of man. B.B.

Warfield. Says the two natures. Is just. Another way. Of stating. The doctrine. Of the incarnation. No two natures. No incarnation. No incarnation.

No Christianity. It's the hinge. On which. All saving religion. Turns. That's the first lesson. The incarnation. Means Jesus.

Has two natures. The next lesson. Is that as a real man. He left an example. For us to follow. As a real man. He lived in real dependence.

Upon God. Just like we must. That's why we have in Jesus. An example. To follow. He becomes. A finite. Dependent.

Man. And lives in our world. To show us. How man was meant. To live. Before God. And others. And before the creation. We're meant to.

Hear the word of God. To trust. God. To obey God. To fear God. To love God. With all our heart. Soul. Mind. And strength. That's the way he lived.

And that's why he prayed. To his heavenly father. Because. As. To his human nature. He was as dependent. Upon God. As you are dependent. Upon God.

If he is to have. He must. Ask. Ask. And so we find. Jesus. As a man. Of prayer. And we had it read. In Hebrews. Chapter 5.

7 and 8. During the days. Of Jesus. Life on earth. He offered up. Prayers. And petitions. With loud cries. And tears. To the one. Who could save him.

From death. And he was heard. Because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son. He learned. Obedience. From what he suffered.

This is speaking of. This humanity. That could learn. Something. He could learn. Obedience. And. And as to his humanity. He was dependent on God. So he prayed. With loud cries.

And petitions. To God. And that's why we have him. As an example. To us. Because he was a real human being. Hard to. Hard to.

To have an example. Hard. Okay. You. You need to run like a deer. That there's something. Between me. And that deer. That's different. It's hard to relate. Isn't it? Well.

God became a man. A man. Just like. Me. That he might. Be an example. To me. As to how to live. And so.

First Peter. To. To this. You were called. To endure suffering. For doing good. To be treated unjustly. To this. You were called. Because Christ. Christ also suffered.

For you. Leaving you. An example. That you should follow. In his steps. So when they hurled. Their insults at him. He didn't retaliate. When he suffered. He made no threats.

Instead. He entrusted. It himself. To him. Who judges justly. This is the human. Jesus. Entrusting himself. To God. Faith in God.

Is how he lived. Because humanity. Is real. We have a human example. To follow. In Jesus Christ. John says.

This is how we know. That we are in him. Whoever claims. To live in him. Must walk. As Jesus did. It's the mark. Of Christians. That they follow. The example. Of that.

Perfect man. Jesus. The third lesson. As a real man. His temptations. Were real. His temptations. Were real. As one of us.

He lived. Where we lived. In a fallen. Sinful world. With a tempting devil. And as he lived here. He was tempted. In every way. Just as we are. Hebrews 4. 15. And he felt.

The full power. Of those temptations. There are some. Who think of Jesus. Being tempted. And they say. Oh. His temptations. Were no big deal. Couldn't have been.

He's God. They think. Of Jesus. Temptations. That he. He so effortlessly. Brushed them aside. And failed. To give in. To sin.

Because he was God. Well. James does tell us. That God cannot be tempted. By evil. But those who discount. Jesus temptations. Fail to understand.

And give. True weight. To the fact. That he was also. Fully man. And as a man. He felt. Temptation. Temptation. It was real.

It pressed him. It was no easy thing. For Jesus. To. Reject. Temptation. Now he had no sin. In him. Like you and I do.

But he was still. A human. And capable. Of. Temptation. Just as we are. So in Matthew 4. We find Jesus. Being tempted. As a man.

And he's hungry. He hasn't eaten. For 40 days. And he's tempted. To turn those stones. Into bread. To prove. To the devil. That he is. The son of God. If you are. The son of God. Change these stones. Into bread. And Jesus.

Doesn't respond. To that temptation. By falling back. To his deity. And using his deity. To command the stones. To become bread. No. He's here. As representative man.

To live as man. Under temptations. That come to man. And so. Without. Some. Reliance. On his. His. His deity.

He has a man. Says no. Satan. My heavenly father. All he has to do. Is decree the word. Just. Speak the word.

And I will eat. And I will trust him. Man doesn't live on bread alone. But by every word. That proceeds. From. His mouth. I'm going to trust him.

To provide. Bread for me. And. In each temptation. We find the Lord Jesus. Laying hold.

Of what God says. To counter. What Satan says. It is written. It is written. You see. We have to do that. He did. In his humanity.

As well. Fighting temptations. Just as we do. With the sword. Of the spirit. The word of God. His temptations. Were real. And he felt them.

To the core. Of his being. Because his humanity. Was real. He really. Wrestled. In Gethsemane. With the temptation. Father.

If it be possible. Let this cup. Pass. For me. That was no. Easy. Handling. Of temptation. He prayed.

Three times. If it be possible. Let it pass. For me. Nevertheless. Not my will. But yours. Be done. He agonized.

As he offered up. Prayers. And petitions. With loud cries. And tears. To the one. Who could save him. From death. And the struggle. Was so intense. That we're told.

That he swept. Great drops. Of blood. And he needed. Angels. To come. And minister. To him. He was so. Spent. By that temptation. That they had.

To strengthen him. So that he could. Go on. Praying. And submitting. To his heavenly father. This is no. Effortless. Refusal. Of temptation.

Temptations. Are not easier. For Jesus. They're harder. Because he never. Gave in. And that meant. Satan. Would go back. And redouble.

His efforts. We don't feel. The full force. We fall. And so we don't feel. The full force. That sea wall. That was standing. On the Jersey shore.

And it. And it stands. Well. Which. Sea wall. Feels. The more. Power. The one.

That stands. For 45 minutes. Of the storm surge. Or the one. That stands. The entirety. Of the whole. Storm. You see. Jesus stood.

And he stood. And he stood. And the whole. Surge. Of Satan's. Temptation. Crashed upon him. And never. Did he give. He felt. Temptations.

Power. Like no one else. Has ever felt. Don't ever. Think. That the temptations. Of Jesus. Were really. Nothing. The incarnation.

Tells us. His humanity. Was real. Therefore. His temptations. Were real. And it's precisely. Because he himself. Suffered. When he is. He was tempted. That he is able. To help us.

When we are being tempted. The fourth lesson. His incarnation. Was permanent. So.

John says. The word was made flesh. And dwelled among us. And he dwelled among us. For 33 years. But he was made flesh. And he remained so.

Forevermore. Forevermore. His visit was brief. His becoming man. Was forever. For at the end of his 33 years here.

He didn't shed his humanity. Like a snake skin. And return back to heaven. To assume again. His one nature. Of God. No.

He continued. To be man. And he took our human nature. Right along with him. Back. Into heaven. A now glorified human nature.

But a human nature still. Rich wounds. Yet visible above. In beauty. Glorified. That glory. That he had with the father. Before the creation of the world.

That he was going back to. He now has shining forth. From his. Humanity. As well. He is. The God man.

Glorified. With the glory. Of the father. So right now. Today. On the throne of God in heaven. There is a man. A real man. With wounds still gaping wide.

The same dear man in heaven. Now reigns. From which rich streams of blood. Once ran. In hands. And feet. And side. Tis no wild fancy.

Of our brains. Of our brains. No metaphor. We speak. The same dear man. In heaven. Now reigns. That suffered. For our sake. That human hearts. He still retains. Though thrown. In highest bliss.

And feels. Each tempted. Members pains. For our afflictions. His. So right now. In heaven. At the right hand of God. There is a human heart.

And so. When we are being tempted. And tried. He is able to sympathize. With us. In our weaknesses. That word. Sympathize. Means to feel with. There is in the science.

Of music. A phenomenon. Called. Sympathetic resonance. Whereby a vibration. In one object.

Produces a sympathetic. Vibration. In another. Like it. Now there is a lot. To this. That I am not going to explain. Let me give a simple. Illustration. We have a piano here.

And if we brought in. Another piano. Both of them. Well tuned. And we put them. Back to back. And then we went over. To this piano. And we struck.

The middle C. And held it down. So that that chord. That string. In there. Could vibrate. Immediately. The vibration.

Of that string. In that piano. Would excite. The middle C. In this piano. And its chord. Would begin to vibrate. Though no one. Ever struck the key.

So that if we went over. To this piano. And grabbed the chord. And thereby stopped. The vibration. And the noise. We would still be hearing. Middle C. On this piano.

That no one struck. It was sympathetic. Resonance. And I believe. That's what. The writer to the Hebrews. Is teaching us. About the humanity.

Of Jesus. That. In all of our temptations. And trials. The things that fall upon us. In our weakness. There.

That move our hearts. That. That strike our hearts. That there's something. In the heart. The human heart. Of the eternal. God man. That feels. What's in our hearts here.

A fellow feeling. In heaven. In his heart. With what's in our hearts. And so we don't have. A high priest. Who's unable to sympathize. Who's not able to be touched.

With the feelings. Of our infirmities. And weaknesses. But we have one. Who's been here. In our nature. Who's been tempted. In every way.

Who's gone through. What we're going through. Who's been here before us. And it's out of that experience. That he draws upon. And has this felt. Sympathy with his own.

Here on the earth. We owe that to the incarnation. In all of our troubles. To know that there is one in heaven. Who knows. And understands. We owe it to the incarnation.

Because the incarnation. Is a permanent thing. Forever and ever. He remains. One of us. The God man.

So we do not have a high priest. Unable to sympathize. With our weaknesses. But we have one. Who has been tempted. In every way. Just as we are. Yet was without sin. Let us then. Approach the throne of grace.

With confidence. So there. There's the application. We have this one. Who has a full humanity. At the right hand of God. So let's go to him. And go to him.

Often. Because he has mercy for us. He understands us. He knows exactly. What we need. He knows precisely. Just the right grace. That we need.

In our temptation. Because he too was tempted. And suffered. When he was tempted. He is able to help us. In our temptations. The incarnation.

Begun in the womb of Mary. Is permanent. And has permanent. Consequences for us. And no small part. Of the wonder of heaven. Will be.

To gaze upon God. The son. Who in order to save us. Became. One of us. And. And we'll see it. Forever and ever.

That's why you will be able. To see Jesus. Because. He became a man. With a real body. And you'll see him one day. So what is our response.

To this Jesus. Do you not love him. Do you not trust him. Do you not learn from him. To trust in God. Well what we're studying.

Is more than a doctrine. It's a person. So let's worship him. Let's bring him. Our worship. And our love. And song. Song sheet underneath. Your seats.

If you use the one underneath. The seat you're sitting on. Tells us of these two natures. In the one person. Meekness and majesty. Let's stand as we sing.

Let's pray. Oh Lord. We confess. That our finite minds. Are small. And our thoughts of. The son of God. Are small. Please open our eyes.

Please give us greater. Mystery. And a sense of the mystery. And a sense of awe. And amazement. At what. God the son. Became for us.

To save us from our sins. And then to. Be able to help us. In all of our temptations. And trials. We thank you. That we have one in heaven. Who knows and understands.

Because he's been here. And he's one of us. Teach us to live upon him. Teach sinners. That this is the only way to heaven. This is the only savior there is. That rejecting him.

May reject salvation itself. Draw us all to him. Teach us what it is to bow and to worship. To rise up and to love and to serve.

We thank you Lord Jesus for your great sacrifice. And we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. may may may may Amen.