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Christ Before Coming to Earth
17
For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our
experiences. “In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His
brethren.”
Hebrews 2:17
. If we had to bear anything which Jesus
did not endure, then on this point Satan would represent the power
of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was “in all points
tempted like as we are.”
Hebrews 4:15
. He endured every trial to
which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power
not freely offered us. As man, He met temptation and overcame in
the strength given Him from God. He made plain the character of
God’s law, and His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey
the law of God.
By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He
lays hold on the throne of God. As Son of man, He gave us an
example of obedience; as Son of God, He gives us power to obey.
To us He says, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”
Matthew 28:18
. “God with us” is the surety of our deliverance
from sin, the assurance of power to obey the law of heaven. Christ
[15]
revealed a character the opposite of that of Satan. “Being found in
human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:8
, RSV. Christ took the form
of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the
victim. “He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was upon Him.”
Isaiah 53:5
.
Treated As We Deserve
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as
He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no
share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we
had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might
receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
.
It was Satan’s purpose to bring eternal separation between God
and man; but in taking our nature, the Saviour bound Himself to
humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. “God so loved the
world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.”
John 3:16
. He gave
Him, not only to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to become one of
the human family, forever to retain His human nature.