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.
Surely by now God must be so frustrated with humanity that he can barely bring himself to tolerate our meager 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 himself living up to all expectations?
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 happy with us 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 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, raised from the dead still a human, ascended in his humanity to heaven, and now sits at God’s right hand mediating for us 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.
What this means is that there is a human being sitting on the throne of heaven mediating for us all. 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.
Oh, and let’s not forget, Jesus is also God.
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 for God to resent man would mean resenting himself. The Father exhausted by the Son. The Trinity divided.
Christian, you are completely reconciled to God in him. All of God’s expectations for humanity have been fully met in the anthropos Christ Jesus. And in him they have been met in you.
“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?
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Playlist: The Man Christ Jesus.
Click Here to this playlist on Spotify!
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