This is part #3 in our series on Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. Although I always edit the messages before they go online, it's usually just taking out "umms" and "ahhs". The editing of this message involved adding a few words, because of confusion that arose from the sermon.
Hi Pat, I appreciate the added (edited) words, however I am still deeply bothered by the comment that "Jesus was born so God could understand and sympathize with his creation" .... God fully understood and truly felt everything that His creation would ever endure-He always did. He did not have to learn it through experience. BY saying that, it belittles God- makes Him less than who He says He is... He does not need to experience things the way we do in order to understand. He is God. Psalms 147:5 tells us that there is NO LIMIT to His understanding.
ReplyDeleteGod is who He ways He is.
Nancy
* God is who He says He is
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your politeness in this response. I also appreciate your sensitivity to this issue, and I understand where you're coming from.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my understanding of the book of Hebrews, in particular 2:14-18, is that Jesus' purpose for coming was not just the cross.To be a High Priest, offering a sacrifice that would take away sins, to be sure, but not just that. He had to come as a human being so that he would be "able to help us" (v18). And v17 implies that His mission was two-fold - to be a merciful High Priest, and to be the sacrifice.
Hebrews 4:15, the verse I quoted in the message, says this (from the New Living Translation): "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." The wording seems to imply that He understands what we go through, "for" He became human. I might be off-base in my thinking, and that's possible. But in my understanding, and it seems, in others' as well, the book of Hebrews affirms that God became human so that He could understand what we go through.
At the least, He became human, so that we could know He knows. It's fine if you aren't willing to go further than this. We agree on what's important. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That's a wonderful mystery in itself, the Incarnation, that no one can understand or fully grasp, just enjoy and savour.
Thanks for your feedback! Merry Christmas.