Series on "The Message of the Cross" – (8)
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 14658 |
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March 19, 2006 |
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 Why Is Jesus Our Savior?
- Qualifications for the Savior (1) -
"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory" (1 Corinthians 2:6-7).
When nonbelievers who are unaware of God's love are told that only Jesus Christ is the Savior and that we cannot be saved through anyone else, they are either puzzled or accuse Christianity of being "self-righteous." Therefore, it is crucial for us to understand distinctly why Jesus Christ is our only Savior and make every effort to preach the gospel to all people.
{The Order of Publication}
Why Is Jesus Our Savior?
1.The Path of Salvation for Mankind According to the Law on the Redemption of the Land
2.Qualifications for the Savior (1)
3.Qualifications for the Savior (2)
As God knew in advance that Adam would eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He had prepared a Savior for mankind who would satisfy every condition of the law on the redemption of the land. That Savior is Jesus Christ.
I will explain why Jesus Christ is qualified to be the only Savior of mankind based on four conditions.
1.Jesus Satisfies the First Condition: "The Savior Must Be a Man"
Leviticus 25:25 is a provision of "the law on the redemption of the land" and is read as follows: "If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold."
Just as the nearest kinsman can come and buy back the land his relative has sold, the task of recovering Adam's descendants who have been handed over to the enemy devil must be carried out by "the nearest kinsman" of Adam.
Who, then, is Adam's "nearest kinsman"? It refers to a man who, just like Adam, has spirit, soul, and body. We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, "For since by a man [came] death, by a man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive."
The first condition to become the Savior who redeems mankind from their sins is that he must be a man. Jesus is the Son of God the Creator, God Himself in essence, and possesses the power, authority, and glory as a Deity. Yet, how could He be "the nearest kinsman" of a man?
John 1:14 tells us about Jesus, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" and John 1:1 reminds us that "the Word was God." The phrase "the Word became flesh" tells us that God donned the body of a man with flesh and bones, and came to this world.
Jesus was born in the body of a man in order to redeem the mankind from their sins. For He was a man, Jesus felt fatigue, hunger, thirst, joy, and grief. When He was hung on the cross, Jesus even shed blood and felt the excruciating pain.
There is an undeniable piece of evidence that testifies to Jesus' having come to this world as a man. We know this from how the history of mankind is divided into the time before Jesus' birth ("B.C." for "Before Christ") and the time since Jesus birth ("A.D." for "Anno Domini" which in Latin stands for "In the Year of the Lord"). In other words, the method by which we calculate and trace the history of mankind attests to the truth that Jesus indeed came to this world as a man.
2.Jesus Satisfies the Second Condition: "The Savior Must Not Be a Descendant of Adam."
Why could not a descendant of Adam be the Savior?
When God created man, He gave Adam and Eve the seeds of life – the sperm in the man and the egg in the woman – and allowed a new life to be conceived through them. Contained in the sperm and the egg is the information concerning hereditary influences and traits, such as the parents' nature, personality, characteristics, outward appearances, and even habits. This is why the children resemble their parents in terms of appearance, physical figure, nature, habits, and the like.
After Adam sinned, the sinful attributes of forefathers have been passed down to their posterity, and this is "the original sin." Hence, every person becomes a sinner the moment he is born because of the sinful attributes he has inherited from Adam and his forefathers.
On this, Romans 5:12 tells us, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." As death was thrust upon all mankind because of the sin of one man Adam, all his descendants are effectively sinners.
If one person is a sinner, he cannot redeem another person from his sins. For instance, suppose your brother has a large debt and finds himself on his way to imprisonment. Yet, if you have a large debt of your own and find yourself on your way to imprisonment, you do not have the ability to help your brother and pay back his debt.
By the same token, while the Savior who is to redeem the mankind from their sins must be a man, He must not be a sinner. However, for all Adam's descendants are sinners born with the original sin, they cannot redeem others from their sins. In other words, no man who has ever been born can satisfy the second condition for the Savior.
Who, then, can satisfy the second condition in being the Savior, that He must be a man but not a sinner? Of all the people who have ever been born on the earth, only Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, is a man but not a descendant of Adam, or "a sinner."
In physical terms, Jesus is David's descendant and His parents are Joseph and Mary. Yet, Matthew 1:20 reminds us that Jesus "has been conceived of the Holy Spirit" and Matthew 1:23 tells us of the prophecy regarding Jesus' birth, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel."
Jesus was not conceived by Joseph's sperm and Mary's egg but by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was no difficult task for the almighty God to impregnate Mary with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For Jesus only "borrowed" the body of the Virgin Mary but was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is not Adam's descendant and, because He did not inherit any hereditary influences and traits, Jesus was not born with the original sin.
Keep in mind that while the Virgin Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus, she cannot be His "mother." Even if a fertilized egg were bred in a machine and a child born after 9 months with the advancement of science and technology, the child would not refer to the machine as his "mother." The relationship between Jesus and the Virgin Mary can be viewed in this manner. For this reason, Jesus never called or referred to Mary as "Mother" in the Bible but instead used the word, "Woman" (John 2:4; John 19:26). The expression "the mother of Jesus" was used only by Jesus' disciples to refer to Mary, and she cannot be an object of our worship. Always remember that we are to worship and pray only to God the Trinity.
I will continue on with the message in the next issue of Manmin Joong-ang News.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as you understand and acknowledge the fact that no one else on the earth except Jesus Christ is qualified to be the Savior of mankind, may each of you quickly possess the conviction of salvation by faith and come to enjoy all the authority and blessings entitled to you as a child of God, in the name of Our Lord I pray!
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