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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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April 11, 1990
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Contents:
1) The Sufferings and Sympathies of Jesus (Tom Edwards)
2) God's Word on the Resurrection of Jesus
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-1-
The Sufferings and Sympathies of Jesus
by Tom Edwards
According to Hebrews 5:2,3, the high priest could "deal gently with the
ignorant and misguided" because "he himself also" was "beset with
weaknesses." Generally, individuals are more sympathetic toward those
of like frailties. One who is an "ex-this" or an "ex-that" is usually
more influential over those who are struggling to overcome that which
he already has. The desire to find someone who can empathize with our
particular problems is often manifest in the common cry, "You don't
know what I'm going through."
Though Jesus never sinned, this does not mean that He isn't aware of
the struggles of mankind. To the contrary, His fervent devotion to live
above ungodliness made Him even more mindful of the great spiritual
battle that exists between the flesh and the Spirit. Victoriously,
however, He pressed on -- skillfully evading every wicked snare and
firmly standing against the wiles of the evil one. The Hebrew writer
exhorts the brethren to "hold fast" to their "confession" on the basis
that they "do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with" their
"weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as" they are,
"yet without sin" (Heb. 4:14,15).
May we never forget the great challenge it was for the Son of God when
He took upon Himself human form and came to do battle against the
powers of darkness. According to Hebrews 5:7-9, the Lord earnestly
sought to be right with His Father to an intense degree: "In the days
of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud
crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was
heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience
from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He
became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation."
Notice the great fervor in His requests: "with loud crying and tears"
He poured His heart out to the Father. Perhaps this reminds you of also
the deep sincerity in His prayers as He was awaiting the time of His
betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane. It was pertaining to this very
event in which the word of God proclaims, "And being in agony He was
praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood,
falling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44). Medically speaking, this
"sweat" which "became like drops of blood" could have quite possibly
been hemathidrosis which has been known to occur with people in highly
emotional states or with those who have bleeding disorders. It is said
that in this type of hemorrhage in which the blood is channeled into
the sweat glands, the skin becomes "fragile and tender" -- and this was
all just shortly before the severe scourging that Christ received prior
to His crucifixion, a preparatory flogging of thirty-nine lashes by
which many of the victims would often die from the sharp, jagged pieces
of metal and bones that had ripped into their soft, weary flesh. (The
whip commonly used was made up of various chords that had these
flesh-piercing chunks of metal and bones attached to them.)
The concept of Christ "having been made perfect" does not imply that He
was ever imperfect through disobedience; rather it refers to the
culmination of His submission when He freely gave of Himself upon the
cross of Calvary. The thorns of mockery which Christ wore upon His brow
soon were replaced by the highest crown of achievement one could
possibly attain: the living of a perfect life. Only Jesus lived this
type of life in which the Father in heaven was fully obeyed, without
having ever sinned in even the most "seemingly insignificant" area.
But, though His life was impeccable, He still needed to make the
atonement for the sins of the world by His death; and by fully yielding
Himself in this way, Christ was made our "perfect" Savior. As the
Hebrew writer testifies, "...without shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). But let us not forget that though the church
was purchased by the blood of Christ, it had also required the Lord's
perfect life -- which was achieved through many trials and temptations
-- in order for Him to become our perfect sacrifice.
Isn't it a shame when people today can't even "struggle" to get out of
bed in order to make it to the services? or find it so much of a
"sacrifice" to have to sit in a pew for a couple of hours?
In all the strugglings and sacrifices that our Lord made, not once do
we find Him complaining or murmuring. To be like Christ, is to be
willing to suffer graciously, without complaint. As Peter wrote to the
Christians in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
"...since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with
the same purpose....if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel
ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God" (1 Pet. 4:1,16).
What an easier and less painful life the Lord would have lived if it
were only our "struggles" and "sacrifices" with which He would have had
to contend. May we never become ingrates toward the vital and glorious
accomplishments of our Savior, which He made by His life, by His death,
and by His resurrection. Truly, Jesus suffered for every sinner.
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-2-
God's Word on the Resurrection of Jesus
Psalm 2:7, "I will surely tell
of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son. Today I
have begotten Thee."' (Acts
13:30-34 shows Psa. 2:7 to be referring to Christ's
resurrection.)
Psalm 16:9,10, "Therefore my
heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell
securely. For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou
allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay."
Luke 18:33, "and after they
have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise
again."
Luke 24:46, "and He said to
them, `Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again
from the dead the third day."'
1 Cor. 15:4-8, "...He was
buried, and...He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After
that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most
of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared
to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one
untimely born, He appeared to me also."
Acts 1:3, "To these He also
presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing
proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of
the things concerning the kingdom of God."
Acts 5:30,31, "The God of our
fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a
cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and
a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And
we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God
has given to those who obey Him."
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for,
if
not,
salvation
can
be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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First published for the Tri-state church of Christ in Ashland,
Kentucky, at 713 13th Street.
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards
tedwards1109@gmail.com
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