1689

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 159

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Day 159

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 6.

“… and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,…”

Scripture Lookup

Revelation 13:8

Reflection

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

While Jesus died in a particular point in time, He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before time began, the Son freely agreed to be the redeemer of the elect. It was ordained that He would take on human flesh, live a sinless life, endure the wrath of God on the cross, and purchase an inheritance for His people. Because this was purposed in eternity past, the virtue, efficacy, and benefit of Jesus’ life and death were bestowed on His elect in every age.

The Israelite slaves in Egypt were told to slaughter a lamb and to spread its blood over the doorposts of their homes. In this way, when the tenth plague came, a plague that brought death, the Lord passed over the houses that showed the blood. Like the Passover lamb, Jesus saved His people from death through the shedding of His blood.

Once again we remember that salvation was God’s plan from the beginning. He has full control and knowledge of this universe. No event in history has ever been outside of His providence, and that includes the redemption of sinners. Jesus satisfied divine justice by fulfilling the law that we could not, and receiving the punishment we deserve. Because of Him, we are counted as righteous. The Lamb that was slain is our Savior.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!

 

Questions to Consider

  • Does knowing that Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world bring comfort?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 158

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Day 158

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 6.

“Although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated to the elect in all ages, successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed which should bruise the serpent’s head;…”

Scripture Lookup

1 Corinthians 10:4

Hebrews 4:2

1 Peter 1:10, 11

Reflection

Jesus has purchased the redemption of the elect. All who repent and trust in Him receive eternal life. There is no other way of salvation. But what about those who lived before Christ? Were any of them saved? How were they saved if they didn’t know about Jesus, His perfect life and His death on the cross?

God’s elect have lived throughout time, including the time before Christ. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, a Savior was promised that would crush the serpent’s head. While those of the Old Testament period did not know the name of the Messiah, they knew He would be coming and looked forward to that day. Through the sacrificial systems they knew they needed atonement, and that a greater sacrifice than bulls and goats was needed for full atonement. The promises given to them by God ensured that He would supply a Savior, and prophecy foretold of the life of the Messiah. The types they witnessed symbolized aspects of Christ’s work. Thus by believing God and trusting in the Messiah that was to come were the Old testament saints saved.

The redemption of Christ reaches back in time to those who eagerly awaited His coming. Its virtue, effectiveness, and benefits are the same for those believers who lived before Christ as they are for believers who have lived since. One group looks forward; the other group looks back. Both receive grace, mercy, and eternal life because of the one mediator, Jesus Christ.

Questions to Consider

  • Isn’t it comforting to know that all the elect receive salvation in the same way – through Christ?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 157

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Day 157

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 5.

“...procured reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father has given unto Him.“

Scripture Lookup

John 17:2

Hebrews 9:15

Reflection

Have you ever heard “I forgive you,” from someone, and wondered if they really meant it?

Too often those words mean that your relationship with that person is over. They move on, and there is no chance to rebuild or reconcile. Such actions make you question if the forgiveness given was merely the offended taking the moral high ground.

Such behavior from humans can make you wonder, “What about God?”

While He says He forgives sinners, will He continue to be there each time we confess our sin? Will He become distant, no matter how penitent we are? What kind of a relationship will we continue to have when He realizes that we are vile?

For the answers, look at Jesus.

Jesus’ perfect offering of Himself has procured reconciliation. It is not a matter of God saying “I forgive you” and then having nothing more to do with you. When He pardons you, He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you, cares for you, and conforms you to the image of His Son, the One who never sinned and always did the will of His Father.

If you are His, then God does not give up and move on from you. In fact, He adopts you as His son! We enjoy the privileges and liberties of being children of God! The Confession tells of it this way: “[the elect]…are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by him, as by a Father; yet never cast off” (LBCF Ch.12, italics added.) In fact, far from casting us off, Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us; He awaits our arrival! This inheritance He has purchased is eternal. It will not change. He is with you ’til the end.

“Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a Friend!”

Questions to Consider

  • Is it hard for you to accept that if you are in Christ, you are reconciled to God?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 156

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Day 156

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 5.

“The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up to God, hath fully satisfied the Justice of God,...“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 9:14, 10:14

Romans 3:25,26

Reflection

How many times must a truly righteous Jesus offer Himself as a sacrifice for His people? Only one. Think about it: a perfect savior makes a perfect sacrifice. If another sacrifice is necessary, then the first sacrifice was not perfect. Thankfully, Jesus does not need to be sacrificed over and over. He was without any spot or blemish of sin, and could endure the infinite wrath due to sin. He offered Himself up once, and that is enough.

The sacrifice of Christ is over. It is done. It is finished. We have no need to “re-present” it, as Roman Catholics do in the mass day after day. The work of redemption has ceased! Jesus is now in heaven, reigning and sitting at the right hand of the Father!

Since Jesus’s offering up of Himself only needed to happen once, we have assurance that those who trust in Christ are forgiven. God’s justice is FULLY satisfied.

My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

-Horatio Spafford, It Is Well With My Soul

Not a little satisfied, not somewhat satisfied, but fully. When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Why is He just? Because Christ’s offering has fully satisfied the justice of God.

Do not trick yourself into thinking that Christ is not enough to save you. There is no need for “salvation insurance” in the form of saints, Mary, adding your works to Christ, or adopting any other practice that claims to get you into heaven. Only Christ is sufficient. He is all you need.

Questions to Consider

  • Is Christ enough for you?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 155

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Day 155

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 10:42

Romans 14:9,10

Acts 1:11

2 Peter 2:4

 

Reflection

Jesus will judge you.

It is fitting that Jesus is the judge of the world, because all things were made for Him and through Him. He reigns from on high, seated at the right hand of the Father. Have you ever heard of a king that was unable to judge His people as well? All authority has been given to Jesus, and that includes determining who will receive blessing and who will receive punishment.

When this world ends, Jesus will judge not only you and the elect, but all of mankind, and even the angels. All will give an account for their deeds, and Jesus will judge accordingly. Angels that rebelled against God will receive everlasting torment. Those men who have not believed and trusted in Christ will also receive everlasting torment. The elect will receive eternal life.

The world attempts to persuade you that justice does not exist. Time after time acts of violence and rebellion occur with no consequence.  Life is not fair, the world cries, and thus we must look out for ourselves. But justice does exist. We know this, because Jesus came. He suffered, died, rose, and ascended just as He said. And He said that there will be a time of judgement. He will keep His word; we do not need to doubt Him. He is just, and He will judge.

Questions to Consider

  • Will Jesus judge impartially? What will be your plea when you stand before Him?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 154

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Day 154

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“… and there sits at the right hand of His Father making intercession,…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 8:34

Hebrews 9:24

Reflection

After Jesus ascended into heaven, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. What does that mean? Rather than declaring that there is furniture in heaven, “sitting at the right hand” means that He is in the place of highest favor with the Father. Christ is exalted by His Father, attaining again the glory He shared with Him before the world began. He is reigning over all, holding the universe together.

With Christ’s work of redemption complete, and with Him now ruling in the heavens, is He finished with humanity? Not at all! Despite His power, despite His prestige, Christ is still the mediator on our behalf. He intercedes for us. Think of it: we have connections to the infinite, most Holy God! Jesus has not left us to ignore us; He continues to pray for us. If the prayers of a righteous man avails much, as it says in James 5:16, how powerful are the prayers of Jesus, who knew no sin!

In the midst of the hard, trying days when we fail and feel friendless, you are not forgotten: Jesus is interceding for you. Right now, as you read this, He is interceding for you. He will continue to intercede for you while you live on this earth. Thank you, Lord, for Your mercy and goodness to us!

Questions to Consider

  • How does the intercession of Christ affect your life right now?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 153

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Day 153

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“… with which He also ascended into heaven,…“

Scripture Lookup

Mark 16:19

Acts 1:9-11

Reflection

Staring at the sky, the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven. Before planes and rockets, before any notion that man could travel by air, Jesus did miraculously go up to His Father. The ascension of Jesus has always been somewhat of an overlooked event. There are no big holidays surrounding it. So what about the ascension is important? As the angels say to the disciples, “Why do you stare at the sky?”

Jesus, victor over death, had to go back to the Father. He was looking forward to it, sharing with His disciples that it was to happen. (See John 6:62; 16:5; 20:17, for example.) It was fitting that He be exalted in the heavens, since He no longer needed to be subject to the weaknesses of life on earth. Jesus now enjoys the place at the Father’s right hand, and is reigning there.

If Jesus had not ascended, we would not receive the Holy Spirit. “Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ” (John 16:7) We have the Comforter as a result of Jesus sending Him to us!

With the ascension of Jesus, we are taught how He left, and how He will come back. He will return in the same body that He ascended with, and it will be an event that cannot be missed. Jesus will be seen. His power will be demonstrated, and His authority as Lord will not be denied.

Thus the ascension of Jesus is not a passing afterthought in His life. It was foreordained from eternity past, proclaimed in advance by Jesus, and fulfilled forty days after His resurrection. It is an event of great importance, and one for which we can praise Him.

Questions to Consider

  • How does the ascension of Christ affect your life right now?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 152

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Day 152

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…on the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in which He suffered;…“

Scripture Lookup

1 Corinthians 15:3,4

John 20:25,27

Reflection

Jesus was true to His word.

He died on the cross. His body was taken down, wrapped in burial cloths, and shut in a tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers. There was no way that body was going to get out of there.

And yet…three days later, the stone was rolled away, the cloths were folded at the tomb, and Jesus appeared to His disciples. This was no apparition! It was truly Him, in the same body that a couple days earlier had been lifeless. The marks from the nails were still there. It was Him! What He said came to pass.

With the resurrection of Christ we see the importance of the body. The Son of God was not made flesh only to cast it off once His work of redemption was complete. Instead He remained with the body He always had on earth, only now glorified. He still intercedes for us with that same body. We who are in Christ will also be resurrected with glorified bodies.

Because of the resurrection, we can be confident that those who are in Christ will not remain dead. Our bodies will be fully redeemed and conformable to His. Jesus has proved true.

Questions to Consider

  • How does the resurrection of Christ affect your life right now?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 151

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Day 151

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead; yet saw no corruption:…“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 13:37

Reflection

Jesus died on the cross.

“It is finished!” He said, and gave up His spirit. The Roman soldiers there saw He was dead. His body was prepared for burial. It was shut up in a tomb. He was dead.

There are groups that vehemently deny this fact. He only lost consciousness, they say. This way they can explain away what happened to His body three days later. But Jesus actually died. There was no ordinary way of reviving Him. His spirit was separate from His body.

His death continued for three days. Why three? Because that’s how long He said it would last: “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ” (Matthew 12:40); “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The Pharisees remembered that He said He would rise after three days, and secured the tomb with a Roman guard. During that time, Jesus remained dead.

The sacrificial work needed to atone for His people was complete in Jesus’ death. His body lay in the tomb. Yet it would not experience the effects of death. Christ’s body did not decay and turn to dust like other human bodies. The penalty due to sin paid for, there was no need for Jesus to remain dead. Indeed, God would not let Him undergo decay…

Questions to Consider

  • What has Christ’s death accomplished for you?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 150

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Day 150

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…enduring most grievous sorrows in his Soul; and most painful sufferings in his body;…“

Scripture Lookup

Matthew 26:37,38

Luke 22:44

Matthew 27:46

Reflection

What is the worst pain you have ever experienced? How about the worst hurt? The worst anguish?

Jesus, in fulfilling His office as mediator, became the curse for Christians. The punishment we deserve for breaking God’s law He endured.  Much has been written about how agonizing a death was crucifixion. Slow, exhausting, torturous and barbaric, crucifixion was designed to inflict maximum pain and humiliation upon a person. The crucified was often forced to carry the heavy wood to the place where it would be used to kill him. Stripped of his clothes, he was exposed to mock and ridicule. Nails puncturing hands and feet attached the victim to the cross. He would have to push against his feet to be able to breathe, otherwise he would asphyxiate.  Jesus endured this.

Not only did Jesus suffer physically, but also spiritually. He prayed that if it were possible, the cup would pass and He would not have to endure such pain. Dread accompanied that prayer, which was not a simple request but an earnest pleading with God. The mental anguish produced drops of blood. No one stuck by Him. He was betrayed; He was abandoned; He was denied. And when He experienced the suffering of the cross, He endured all of the infinite wrath that sin must receive.

Christ bore all this, and bore it willingly, so that God and sinners would be reconciled. While the pain and hurt we experience in this life are real, as Christians there can be no suffering or distress that compares with what Jesus endured: what He endured for us and our salvation. In your times of despair, look to Christ. See how He loves you in becoming a curse for you. Go to Him who cares for you, who intercedes on your behalf, and be at rest.

Questions to Consider

  • How does Jesus enduring sorrows and suffering aid you in your life today?