Topic: Son of Man. Category: Son of Man>
Bible Scriptures: Luke 23:14-15, John 19:4-7, Isaiah 53:8-9, Luke 23:39-43, Mark 15:39, Isaiah 53:3-6.
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We live in a world driven by self-will. Humanity’s self will is to oppress others, to raise self up. It is to take from others, to give to self and to shame others, to honour self. Humanity’s self will in giving is for the self to gain – power, satisfaction and honour.
Humanity’s self will or flesh cries out, ‘someone has to pay for all this injustice.’ Someone has to pay for all the offences done by humanity, to self and to others.
the seed of man
Let us go back to before time began. There was God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three are one. One God.
Out of love God created the first man and woman, yet they chose to follow their own selfish desires, their own flesh, giving their God given power over to their selfish desires and evil.
The perfect good seed of humanity created by God became corrupted by humanity.
For thousand upon thousands of years, humanity’s selfish desires and evil multiplied.
Humanity’s flesh cries out, someone has to pay! The good news is someone has paid.
jesus the man
In a moment of time in human history God Himself became human, by His own perfect good seed, through his birth from a woman came as a vulnerable little baby.
Jesus is His name.
So Jesus grew to be a man and in the power and authority of the living God went about doing good, setting humanity free. He became one of us, giving Himself over to full participation in our humanity. Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters. Yet He did not fall into bondage to fear, evil or selfish desires, as He was born not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, the Spirit of God.
festival time
It is festival time. The crowds gathered – men, women, boys, girls, the religious, government officials, soldiers and criminals.
Behold Jesus, the Son of God who became the man.
The soldiers had just tortured Jesus’ body and mind. His human flesh – beaten, whipped and ripped apart. In mockery they twisted thorny branches together and pressed a crown of thorns into His skull. They put a robe around His tortured body and struck His face with their hands. They publicly shamed Him.
the perfect man
Pilate the Roman governor testifies together with Herod the Jewish ruler of Jesus’ hometown that Jesus was innocent.
Luke 23:14-15 (Pilate) ‘said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.’
Yet humanity’s flesh cries out, someone has to pay!
Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. Yet again Pilate testifies there was no fault in Jesus.
John 19:4 ‘Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”’
Yet humanity’s flesh cries out, someone has to pay!
the innocent man
Pilate a third time testifies.
John 19:5-6 ‘Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
Yet humanity’s flesh cries out, someone has to pay!
The religious cry out, “crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Crucifixion was a cursed way to die. It was a public execution that inflicted the most pain and shame.
Pilate asked again, what should I do with Jesus?
John 19:7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”’
The religious falsely accused Jesus, that He made Himself the Son of God.
Pilate himself asked Jesus, what is truth? Yet Pilate and the religious leaders rejected the truth that was standing in front of them.
The truth that the Son of God had made Himself to be a man!
the son of God became a man
God Himself chose to become the perfect sacrifice, the free will offering, to pay the cost that our selfish flesh cries out for.
Pilate gave Jesus over to the selfish will of humanity as the flesh cries out someone has to pay. Jesus shared in our shame. Yet He was without fault.
A soldier who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion testifies.
Mark 15:39 ‘So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him (Jesus), saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”
Yes the Son of God, made Himself to be a man! A perfect man foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:8-9 ‘He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
God’s will
Jesus chose to become the perfect sacrifice, so that all humanity may choose to receive and believe His eternal flesh and blood sacrifice of Himself. Set free of the bondage to fear, evil and selfish desires of the flesh. Or in choosing to reject Jesus’ eternal flesh and blood sacrifice of Himself, remain in bondage to fear, evil and selfish desires of the flesh.
The two criminals hanging beside Jesus on the cross represent the two different responses.
Luke 23:39-43 ‘Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”’
afflicted for us
Jesus’ self will is God’s desire to raise others up, so that others will raise others up. God’s desire is to give to others, so that others will give to others. Jesus’ heart motive in giving of Himself is for others to gain – power, satisfaction and honour.
Our flesh esteemed Jesus to be afflicted by God, but the truth is, Jesus was afflicted by humanity’s flesh that cries out, someone has to pay!
The prophet Isaiah testifies.
Isaiah 53:3-6 ‘He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’
Through Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself, His life, death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed death and took away the power of evil. Jesus broke the chains of humanity’s bondage to fear, evil and selfish desires of the flesh.
Jesus became a man to save humanity. Humanity betrayed Jesus and cried out someone has to pay!
son of God became son of man
The Son of God gave up His heavenly riches, came down from heaven to earth, took on human flesh, lived as a man, died as a man, rose from the grave as a resurrected man, ascended into heaven and is coming back in His resurrected glory to judge the living and the dead.
the choice
To receive and believe Jesus’ eternal flesh and blood sacrifice of Himself saved from judgement. They are a child of God, born of His Spirit, having received the Holy Spirit within, fully immersed in Him, set free from bondage to fear, evil and selfish desires of the flesh, destined for eternal life, saved from death and darkness.
judgement
Or to reject Jesus’ eternal flesh and blood sacrifice of Himself and be judged. Having rejected Jesus, have their identity in everything that opposes God and His Kingdom. They remain forever in bondage to fear, evil and selfish desires of the flesh, destined for eternal damnation, death and darkness.
In addition those who falsely testify they have received and believed Jesus’ eternal flesh and blood sacrifice of Himself, yet have not, will be exposed and judged as enemies of God. They too remain forever in bondage to fear, evil and selfish desires of the flesh, destined for eternal damnation, death and darkness.
Their flesh cries out, someone has to pay, yet refuse to accept the truth that someone has paid and Jesus is his name!
Behold the Son of God, the Son of Man! Jesus is His name!
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Sermon categories: son of man> love of God> hope and healing> know God> truth> power> end times> experience God> life> success in life> kingdom>
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