THE OFFICES OF CHRIST

One of the greatest problems faced by contemporary teachers is the vast cultural ignorance which seems to have been malnourished on purpose by the knowledge brokers in our age. In the last few years, I don't know how many times I have heard the phrase "It is not necessary to know something that you can look up!" All sorts of people have jumped gleefully on that bandwagon and forgotten all sorts of essential and necessary information in the process. Whenever I speak or teach a wider audience I am usually painfully reminded of this complete lack of common cultural knowledge.

While the following example is not cultural, you can appreciate what is left unknown by the questions that I hear. This fall I was shocked when I was asked how to spell the word "for" as distinct from the number "four". I must have been stunned into silence, because the student who asked me, quickly wanted to know if I knew the answer . Some years ago I was equally shocked when someone wanted to know what the letters BC and AD had to do with calendar dates. So every year now, I always make it a point to discuss the finer points of our Christ centered calendar.

Unfortunately, the humanists are trying very diligently to shift the focus of that calendar away with other phrases and definitions. Before the Common Era is the cutesie replacement for Before Christ. "After death" is widely proposed by those who have lost the ability to appreciate the Lordship of Christ easily apparent in the Anno Domini which translates more properly to "In the year of our Lord". Very far have we come from the hallmarks of a Western Civilization which once dated every historic event from the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In His coming to earth, Jesus Christ divided all of human history into the two great divisions which show forth the glorious plan for our salvation. Well did James Stalker point us to the center of all things, even time itself:

"This is the centre of all things. Here two eternities meet. The streams of ancient history converge here, and here the river of modern history takes its rise. This is the end of all roads. The seeker after truth, who has explored the realm of knowledge, comes to Calvary and finds there that at last he has reached the centre. Lord, to whom can we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."

Today we must focus on the larger theme of how these three offices are discharged by our Lord in the estates of humiliation and exaltation. A.A. Hodge in his wonderful commentary on The Confession of Faith insists rightly that Jesus took these offices of the Mediator voluntarily. This affirmation is supported from the Gospel of John (10:17-18) where we read:

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

First, His humiliation was in being born. God, as the the Scriptures declare, set His glory by and descended from heaven to earth. Once a year we celebrate this awesome act of charity during the Christmas season. Once a popular evangelist was invited to an unexpected opportunity for work and witness. However, he declined because one of his members needed his help in repairing their home sweet shack! The people who invited him assured him that they could pay for the hired help necessary, but he still declined, this was a chance for him to spend some time with one of his people. Whether we agree with his politics or not, in such a spirit we may see the ongoing work of former President Carter as he travels around the country helping communities to build homes for its poorest citizens.

Not many people have had an ex-president hammer nails for them, and not everyone has known the Christ who was nailed to the cross for them either! The coming of Christ from heaven to rescue us is an act of infinite condescension on the part of the Godhead of Jesus. Only in coming to earth could the Christ be seen and known, tasted and handled in order that we might receive grace for grace.

Second, the humiliation was in the perfect obedience to the law under which He was made. This complexity is better explained by A.A. Hodge: "By Christ's suffering (passive obedience) ... he purchases for us reconciliation, while by his fulfilling the precepts of the law (active obedience) he purchases for us an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven" Therefore, Christ was made under the law (Gal 4:4-5) to redeem them that were under the law in order that we might be adopted into the family of God.

Third, by His undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God and the curse of death on the cross, Christ was the representative of all his people. By His suffering and obedience Jesus fulfilled the requirement of the law (Heb 9:22) "that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

Fourth and finally, the humiliation of Christ includes his being buried and continuing under the power of death for a time. Whenever we repeat the Apostles Creed we affirm this in the phrase, "He descended into hell" or as we should phrase it - to the place of the dead. This says nothing more than that the Lord of Life factually and literally died and experienced the death that is the common experience of all mankind.

However, these various humiliations are but predecessors for the infinite delights of His exaltation to which we turn our attention for the remainder of this morning's study. His exaltation also consists of four points according to Dr Hodge.

First, Christ is exalted in his rising from the dead on the third day. What a glorious wonder, the day when all heaven broke loose and the Son of God took up His life again. It was a fact predicted in the Old Testament and also by Himself. It is a fact attested to by the Apostles and over 500 of the brethren. Would we doubt the testimony of these Apostles, who in their own turn performed miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit? These same Apostles were so awesomely affected by Holy Spirit that they were moved to change the celebration of the Lord's Sabbath to the day of resurrection.

Second, Christ is exalted in his ascending up into heaven. On the Mount of Olives, Christ ascended as Mediator to complete his work in heaven.

Third, Jesus is indeed sitting at the right hand of the Father, where He intercedes for and reigns over all things in the behalf of, His own people. I know, we have a hard time accepting that the ongoing trials, tribulations and troubles of this life are being used for Christ's purpose to test and strengthen His own people. A dozen years ago I would have been deeply troubled at the probable outcome of the upcoming election. But earlier this week I read that until this spring, both candidates have attended the same liberal church in Washington, DC. That really puts a whole new perspective on the niceties of the "debates" which have been performed for the benefit of the ratings community. Tweddle-Dum and Tweddle-Dee may finish the campaign without any worries on my part. God is Sovereign, and after talking with more and more people who are torn between a tax cut and a tuition grant, I firmly believe that the baby boomers are going to get their just rewards from this campaign. It will be interesting to see how the God of heaven deals with the American Republic in the decades after he dealt with the evil empire of the former Soviet states. Remember, God's wisdom is perfect, and the intercession of Christ is always prevalent and successful.

Fourth, the exaltation of Christ will be finalized when He comes to judge the world at the end of the age. Earlier this week, I had asked by email that some close friends pray for the second coming before my having to endure another teacher's in service day. I survived, but it is events like those that focus my heart and mind more firmly on the sovereign wisdom and power and graciousness of our reigning Lord. Thank goodness the insanity of this present life will not go on forever and ever in the lives of those who belong to Christ!