1 Timothy 2:5-6. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all.
Does God resent us? Surely by now he must be so frustrated with humanity that he can barely bring himself to tolerate our mere existence. Is it not true that any time you have an expectation concerning the behavior of the other party (humanity), and they fail over and over again to meet that expectation, that it must breed a level of bitterness in the heart of the party (God) that is living up to all expectations?
Paul says in verse 5 above that there is one God. He’s quoting from Deuteronomy 6 – “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one.” And then comes the ultimate commandment – “you must love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength.” Love God perfectly and completely. Clearly as humans we have failed to do this for going on four thousand years now. Shouldn’t we assume that God resents us by now?
And if God resents us, as he rightly could and maybe should, what does that breed inside of us? Our own resentment toward God? We assume God must be angry over our sin and so we get angry over his anger. Or, assuming God’s resentment, do we just avoid God altogether? We believe that God is tired of our sinning and done with us, at least until we get to heaven. Or do we double our efforts at keeping God on our side? Keep “short accounts with God.” Keep asking for forgiveness. Keep modifying our behavior. Do more. Sin less. Make God love me again.
Or can we take a step back, catch our breath after all our needless begging, and trust fully in the expectation meeting, resentment crushing, MAN Christ Jesus.
The man Christ Jesus.
The anthropos (human) Christ Jesus.
Many Christians fail to understand or struggle to understand the eternal humanity of Christ. Jesus wasn’t always a human. Yes, he is the eternal son of God, but he didn’t become anthropos until his incarnation. He was born a human, lived as a human, was tempted and trialed as a human, died as a human, was raised from the dead still a human, ascended in his humanity to heaven, and now sits at God’s right hand as our mediator, as an eternal human. Jesus is the second Adam that restores humanity to its proper place in the created order – image bearing, dominion sharing, glory wearing, children of God.
Job cried out for this, lamenting that in his sorrow there was no mediator between God and himself. No one that could understand both parties.
Job 9:33. There is no arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
But now in the God- man, Christ Jesus, this is exactly what we have. Anthropos. Humanity mediating for humanity to God. It is a human that has saved humanity. It is one of us that rescues each of us. It is the man who has gone between God and men.
Jesus is the human that satisfied all God’s just wrath against humanity’s rebellion.
Jesus is the human that brings the knowledge of the truth to all humanity.
Jesus is the human that gave his life for all mankind.
Jesus is the human that ransomed us from human bondage.
Jesus is the human that died in humanity’s place.
Jesus is the human that sits on the throne of the universe.
Jesus is the human that now mediates for humanity before the throne of God.
Oh, and let’s not forget, Jesus is God.
He is God and man. He is the source of all creation (God) and the goal of all creation (man). And he is the savior of all creation, as only a God-man could be. In him we are not only saved from our sins, we are also saved into our divinely ordained human purpose. Ruling creation. Representing God. Revealing the Father as his children. All now made possible by the the man Christ Jesus.
Does God resent us? Is he frustrated with us? Ready to call it quits on humanity? Ready to give up on mankind? On you? On me?
Never. How do I know? Because all of God’s expectations for humanity have been fully met in the anthropos Christ Jesus. We are completely reconciled to God in him. There are no more barriers between God and man. Jesus Christ is the bridge. The door. The mediator who has laid his hands on us both.
“To live is Christ” means no more being held hostage by our doubts of God’s love. The man Christ Jesus has opened the way to the Father forever. No more resentment, bitterness, self-righteousness, or self-loathing. Just trusting that our lives are found in the man who has made a way for all mankind.
You
Do you think God resents you? Do you resent God?
You in Christ
How does it encourage you to know that being in Christ means being represented by the ultimate human?
Christ in you
Where do you need to trust Jesus’ humanity today, not just his divinity?
Playlist: The Man Christ Jesus
To Live is Christ 