Sermon #1495 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: “He Was Made”
Text: Hebrews
7:20
Subject: What
Christ was Made to be as Our Substitute
Date: Tuesday Evening —
Tape # W-96b
Introduction:
Yesterday afternoon I saw a
tape in Bro. Larry Criss’ car. I don’t know who preached the message, and
didn’t get to listen to it; but the title caught my attention. It had just
three, one syllable words; but they are magnificent, instructive words. I have been
rolling them over in my heart ever since I saw the tape. The title of the
message was – “He Was Made.”
(Hebrews
7:20) "And inasmuch as not without
an oath he was made priest:"
As we read through the New Testament, we find those
three simple and powerfully significant words repeatedly used to describe the
Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ – “He was made!”
·
“He was made” – Three words that sound like the deep notes of a great organ in the
cathedral of John’s gospel.
·
“He was made”- Three words that appear as guiding lights upon high towers through the
mountain ranges of Hebrews.
·
“He was made” – Three words that bloom like fragrant, springtime flowers in the fertile
gardens of 1 and 2 Corinthians.
·
“He was made” – Three words that form the solid foundation of all biblical theology in
those masterpieces of Pauline theology: Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians.
All that the Lord Jesus Christ is as God, in his Divine Being, he
is, if I may be permitted to use such language, by nature, from all eternity. Omnipotence,
omniscience, and omnipresence, majesty and glory, infinity and immutability,
sovereignty and supremacy, all are his by nature as God. But everything
Christ is as the God-man, our Mediator, Substitute, and Representative, he was
made to be, by virtue of his voluntary obedience to the Father’s will as our
Savior, the Surety of the everlasting covenant. Tonight, I want to show
you from the Scriptures what Christ was made to be for the salvation of his
people.
This book that I hold in my hands, the Word
of God, is a Book about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the subject of every
verse, the theme of every chapter, the chief character of every story. This is
a “Him book.” It is all about “Him” – The Lord Jesus Christ who
was always tender, but never weak – meek and lowly, but never timid and servile
– mighty in conviction, but never cynical – zealous, but never fanatical – even
perfectly holy, but never Pharisaic – passionate for the truth, but never
tainted with prejudice – He never took a false step. He never spoke a false
word. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.” “Never
a man spoke like this Man,” because there never was a man like this Man. He
is the God-Man, the Man who is God! And this Book is all about him!
I want you to keep your Bibles open on your laps and follow me through the Scriptures. We are going to look at 10 passages of Holy Scripture to see what Christ was made to be for us. We will begin in Hebrews 7:22.
Proposition: All that Christ was made to
be, he was made to be for one specific, glorious purpose. All that Christ was made, he was made for us, so that he might redeem unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
I. Made A
Surety—In the beginning, before
ever the earth was made, when the Triune God dwelt alone in the solitude of his
own everlasting, ineffable glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God “was
made a Surety of a better testament” (Heb. 7:22).
I have often shown you that the word translated “testament”
is the same word that is usually translated “covenant” in the Word of
God. Christ was made the Surety of the Everlasting Covenant from eternity.
Illustration:
A. The conditions of grace were
proposed.
B. The Son of God volunteered
to meet all the conditions required by God as our Substitute.
C. God the Father gave his
elect into the hands of his Son, trusting him as our Surety, to redeem us.
D. The Father struck hands with
the Son, and the covenant of grace was ordered in all things and sure (Rom.
II. Made
Flesh—John
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3).
The first chapter of John is a marvelous compendium
of sacred theology.
A.
“In the beginning was the Word” – These words teach us the
eternality of Christ.
B.
“And the Word was with God” – These words teach us the
equality of the Son with the Father.
C.
“And the Word was God” – These words teach us the
Deity of Christ and the plurality of the Persons in the Godhead.
D.
“The same was in the beginning with God” – These words teach us our
Savior’s pre-existence as the Word, the Revealer of God!
E.
“All things were made by him” – These words teach us that
Christ is the Creator of all things.
F.
“In him was life” – These words teach us that
all life is in Christ, comes from Christ, and finds its fullness in Christ.
Christ is our Life!
G.
“And the Light shineth in darkness” – Those words speak of the
revelation of Christ.
H.
“And the darkness comprehended it not” – These words reveal the moral
depravity and spiritual darkness of all men since the fall of our father Adam.
I.
“And the Word was made flesh” – These words describe the
incarnation of the Son of God, the union of two natures in Christ (2 Cor. 8:9).
All his other works God could do, and did do,
without any cost or sacrifice. But God, in his matchless, infinite holiness,
could not save his elect except by the sacrifice of his darling Son for us. Therefore, in order to
save us, “The word was made flesh!” God almighty came into this world in
a body of human flesh. He lived and breathed, grew and learned, hungered and
thirsted, worked and ate, grew weary and slept, and suffered and died as a man.
Yet, he never ceased to be God! “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us!”
III. Made
Of A Woman—Galatians 4:4 – “When the
fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law.”
Here the Holy Spirit tells us two more things about
the incarnation of Christ. He was “made of a woman.” And he was “made
under the law.”
A.
The first statement speaks of our Savior’s virgin
birth.
Christ was “made
of a woman” (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:30-35).
Some doctrines are essential to biblical Christianity. Those who deny, or do not believe them are not Christians, but infidels. To deny them is to deny the faith.
·
The Sovereign Character Of God.
·
The Total Depravity Of
·
The Deity Of Christ.
·
Effectual Redemption.
·
Irresistible Grace.— He who can alter the
order of nature will have no problem altering the will of man.
These are fundamentals of the faith. And another of those vital indisputable, undebatable articles of faith is the virgin birth of Christ. We do not adulate, praise, or worship Mary. She was a sinner just like us, saved by grace through faith in Christ. But we do worship, adore, and praise the Son of Mary, who is the Son of God, who came forth from the virgin’s womb.
I fully agree with I. M. Haldeman, who
wrote, “He who denies the virgin birth denies Bible Christianity, smites the
mother of our Lord with shame, snatches the crown of deity from Jesus’ brow,
strips Christ of his sinless humanity, makes the cross a bloodstained failure,
and bids us face eternity with no light in the darkness.”
B.
The second statement in Galatians 4:4 speaks of our
Lord’s voluntary humiliation and obedience to God as our Representative. – He was “made under the
law, to redeem them that were under the law.” – Moral Law—Ceremonial
Law—Civil Law.
In order to save his people from their sins, in
order to redeem us from the curse of the law by his death, the God-man had to
first establish righteousness as a man for us by his obedience to every
requirement of God’s holy law. He brought in everlasting righteousness.
“So, for us who deserved death, Christ was made
under the law, and died under the law, but his death was the end of the law for
righteousness.” (R. G. Lee)
Someone once said, “He arranged his own death
sentence when he made the law and then bore his own fixed penalty in his own
body on the tree.”
·
Christ made the law.
·
Christ was made under the law.
·
Christ obeyed the law in his life.
·
Christ satisfied the law in his death.
·
And Christ is the end of the law.
·
If I am in Christ, I can no more be made to be under the law than he
can be made under the law again. In him, I am free from the law! “He was
made of a woman, made under the law.”
IV. Made
David’s Seed—In Romans 1:3 Paul is
describing “the gospel of God concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord”
and declares that he “was made of the seed of David according
to the flesh.”
This refers to the royal descent of Christ from
David’s family and asserts his rightful claim as a man to David’s throne. It is
a declaration that he is indeed the Christ, the Messiah…
·
Typified by David.
·
Prophesied by David.
·
Promised by David.
·
Descended from David.
“He was made
of the seed of David.”
V. Made Sin—2 Corinthians 5:21 – God the Father “hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.”
What an astounding
statement! I know of nothing more vastly vast! Here is the holy of holies into
which unhallowed eyes cannot look, behind the veil of which unsanctified minds
cannot intrude.
A. The
Lord Jesus Christ “knew no sin.”
– “In him is no sin!”
He challenged the Jews,
saying, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” The
very worst thing that his enemies could say of him was, “He made himself the Son of God.” “Being a man, he made himself equal
with God.” And, “This man receiveth sinners
and eateth with them!” Pilate said repeatedly, “I find no fault in him!” His wife called him, “This just man!” Judas, refusing to
die with the lie on his lips, said, “I have betrayed innocent
blood!” And
the centurion who watched him die said, “Surely, this
Man was the Son of God!” “He knew no sin!”
B. Yet,
he was “made to be sin for us!”
All the sins of God’s
elect being imputed to him by the hand of God himself, Christ was made sin, he
was made to be the greatest sinner who ever lived, and died under the penalty
of sin as the object of God’s holy wrath, because in the eyes of God’s law, he
fully deserved to die! Christ “his ownself bare our sins
in his own body on the tree!” “He was made,” by a marvelous
transfer of grace, “to be sin for us,” the
people of his love!
We have been looking at
wondrous things. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of glory, was…
·
Made A Sur1ety!
·
Made Flesh
·
Made Of A Woman!
·
Made Under The Law!
·
Made Of The Seed Of David!
But here is the wonder of
wonders, the greatest miracle of mercy, the greatest deed of grace, the
greatest act of God – He was “made to be sin for us!” Why?
C. “That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Though God loved his
elect with an everlasting love and chose us as the heirs of eternal salvation,
God could not and would not have us unless we were made to be perfectly
righteous in his sight. And he could not make us righteous without the
satisfaction of his justice. And his holy justice could not slay his innocent
Son. The sword of justice could never slay an innocent Substitute.
(Exodus 23:7) "Keep thee far from a false matter; and
the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the
wicked."
(Proverbs
17:15) "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are
abomination to the LORD."
(Proverbs
24:24) "He that saith unto the
wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the
people curse, nations shall abhor him."
(Isaiah 5:23) "Which justify the wicked for reward,
and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"
(1 Peter
3:18) "For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
Before God could cry, “Awake, O sword against my Son,” the Son of God must be made to be sin for us! “He was made to be sin for us.!”
VI. Made A Curse—Galatians 3:13 – When the Lord Jesus
Christ was made to be sin for us, he was made a curse for us! “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” (See
Deut. 21:23.)
(Deuteronomy
21:23) "His body shall not remain
all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he
that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy
land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an
inheritance."
Imagine that! The Son of
God, who delights to do his Father’s will, who always pleased his Father, who
has now come to the final act of his voluntary obedience, is made a curse for
us!
·
He was made the object of God’s wrath!
·
He died under the terrifying fury of God’s
justice!
·
He was made a curse for us!”
VII. Made Lord And Christ—Acts
·
John 17:2—Philippians 2:9-11—Hebrews
2:9—Isaiah 45:22-25!
(John 17:2) "As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him."
(Romans 14:9) "For to this end Christ both died, and
rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."
(Philippians
2:9-11) "Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
(Hebrews 2:9) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
(Isaiah
45:22-25) "Look unto me, and be ye
saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none
else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness,
and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall
bow, every tongue shall swear. 24 Surely, shall one say, in the
LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come;
and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 25 In the LORD
shall all the seed of
The basis of his appeal
to sinners in the gospel is his sovereign Lordship! “He was made
both Lord and Christ!”
VIII. Made Priest—Hebrews
7:20 – “He was made Priest!”
(Hebrews
7:20) "And inasmuch as not without
an oath he was made priest:"
He was not made a priest. He was not made one priest among many. “He was made priest.” The only Priest and
Mediator between God and man!
·
A Sacrificing Priest!
·
A Sympathizing Priest!
·
A Saving Priest!
·
A Serving Priest!
·
A Satisfied Priest!
·
A Sovereign Priest! – “A Priest upon a throne!”
IX. Made A Quickening Spirit—1
Corinthians 15:45 – Because he has satisfied the law, being made sin and a
curse for sin, because he is a King with sovereign authority to give life to
whom he will, because he is the Priest whom God appointed, anointed, and
accepted, the Lord Jesus Christ has been made a quickening Spirit – “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a
quickening Spirit.”
That simply means – “The Son quickeneth whom he will” (John
·
All For Whom He Is A Surety!
·
All For Whom He Was Made To Be Sin!
·
All For Whom He Suffered The Curse Of The
Law!
·
All For Whom He Prays! (As A Priest!).
·
All Who Hear His Voice!
X. Made All to Us—1
Corinthians 1:30-31 – If the Lord Jesus Christ, who was made a quickening
Spirit, has given you life and faith by his sovereign grace, then He is made of
God unto you “Wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption.”
(1 Corinthians
1:30-31) "But of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: 31 That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
In other words, Christ is
to you all that God requires from you! With regard to the everlasting salvation
of our souls, “Christ is all!”
A.
Christ is our Wisdom.
1.
Representatively before God.
2.
Efficiently, giving us wisdom from God.
3.
Objectively, it being our highest wisdom to
know him and be found in him.
B.
Christ is our
Righteousness.
As
he was made to be sin for us by divine imputation, so we have been made the
righteousness of God in him, by the same method, to the same degree.
1.
Christ our Righteousness is that
righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
2.
Christ our Righteousness is that “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord!”
C.
Christ is our
Sanctification – In Christ we…
1.
Were set apart for holy purposes from eternity
(Jude 1).
2.
Declared to be holy in justification (Heb.
3.
Made holy in regeneration by the righteous
nature of Christ being imparted to us (1 Cor.
D.
Christ is our Redemption.
1.
He has redeemed us from the curse of the
law, the penalty of sin.
2.
He has redeemed us from the dominion, rule,
and power of sin.
3.
He shall redeem us from the grave, from the
being of sin and the consequences of sin.
Application:
Do you see something of
the fullness of those words – “He was made”? “He was
made…”
1.
The Surety Of A
Better Covenant!
2.
Flesh!
3.
Of A Woman! Made Under The Law!
4.
Of The Seed Of
David!
5.
Sin For Us!
6.
A Curse For Us!
7.
Lord And Christ!
8.
Priest!
9.
A Quickening Spirit!
10. Unto
Us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, And
Redemption!
Why are these things
revealed as they are in the Scripture? “That
according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord!”