Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Consider Christ Jesus, The Apostle

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" Hebrews 3:1

We are given an exhortation here from the author of Hebrews to consider Christ Jesus. He first tells us to consider Him as the Apostle. Apostle is a word that almost all believers have heard, but perhaps do not have an understanding of. The word Apostle, which we use in our English Bibles, comes from the Greek word apostellos, which means one sent out as a representative. A term we would more have an understanding of in this sense would be ambassador. We send an ambassador to another country who has an understanding of their country and our own to represent us. For a few moments let us consider in what capacities Christ Jesus can be thought of as not just an apostle, but THE Apostle.

THE PERFECT AMBASSADOR FROM GOD
An ambassador has to be someone that has a good understanding of the place they are representing. The apostles went out from Christ after being taught by Christ. Christ did not call and then send. Christ called and then taught, and then sent. He taught them the Gospel and gave them an understanding of salvation before sending them. We would not send someone unto another country that had only been a part of America for a few days. We would make sure that they had been here a good many years before they were selected to represent us. Then the country where we sent him could trust his opinion to be that of the country he was representing. Often we have fears, and rightfully so, of someone misleading with information that they believe to be true but is not. God is outside our understanding left unto ourselves we cannot know Him. In the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God. But God has been revealed unto us by Christ Jesus. God has sent Him unto us that through Him the world might be saved. But how do we know that this is true? Because Christ is God Himself. We have no need to worry that God might still be angry with us because Christ has taught us something wrong without knowing better. Christ has a full and thorough understanding of God the Father because He and the Father are one! If you are a follower of Christ then rest assured that you are at peace with God. We do not have the promise of a simple man speaking His own mind, no this promise has been given to us by God Himself. No ambassador was ever suited more for a job than Christ Himself was in representing God for the world.

THE PERFECT AMBASSADOR FOR EARTH
Another characteristic that is very important to being a good ambassador is a knowledge of the place that you are going. Clearly, we would not send an ambassador to a Spanish speaking country if he could not speak Spanish. I use a language barrier because it is the most basic, but the same goes for customs and manners of society. They must be able to understand them as a people and culture. Christ became man and was one in the same even as we. But not only was Christ fully man, but He remained fully God. Christ is omniscient and also the creator. He knows completely what man consist of. Ambassadors do not fully and completely understand the nation they are in. But Christ does more than that, He understands us better than we understand ourselves. God is the only being in the universe that understands fully His every thought and action. Christ not only understands Himself but us as well. We have no need to ever doubt what He teaches us because He knows exactly what we are in need of. God has sent Christ to us and sent Him to become us and we have no need of ever being lead astray. Christ knows us inside and out, better than any of us ever could. We do things constantly without being able to understand the real reason why we acted in such a manner. Down to our deepest and most root causes of action, thought, and desire is known unto Christ. Christ does not only reveal God unto us, but He shows us ourselves as well.

SENT FROM GOD THE FATHER
One thing that separates Christ Jesus from the apostles is that the apostles were sent from God the Son. Christ Jesus is the one that sent them into the world. Christ was sent from God the Father. He was also not sent from Jerusalem, or any other earthly city. The apostles were sent out into the world, but this world was where the originated from. The change was not nearly as drastic for them as it was for Christ. I often think about our great missionaries, and especially those of the past, and what they gave up for Christ. So many had easy lives without many trials and hardships yet they gave them up to follow Christ's call. I remember reading Adoniram Judson's biography and the letter he wrote to his father in law asking for his permission to take his daughter to another land. He does not use gentle words but bluntly describes the hardships that they would surely face and asked that in spite of all that, he would let her go for the cause of Christ. I was amazed that knowing what would lie ahead they gave up their easy lives in America to travel to the savage lands of Burma. But how was it with Christ? Christ was in the midst of a joy and happiness within the Trinity that had last through all eternity. He was in Heaven being sung to and praised by the countless multitude of saints and angels. Then, suddenly, He is brought to earth in the form of an human child. God Himself had put on humanity, He had made Himself even lower than the angels. What condescension is this! Do not let that simply pass by. Stand amazed at the event of the birth of Christ! The magnitude of this single moment in history is absolutely amazing. Some missionaries give up wealth, and houses and family and we are inspired and even astonished by it. If ever a missionaries story was inspiring or encouraging to us to give up what we have to spread the word of God. Consider Christ! He gave up everything that was offered to Him in Heaven. Eternal happiness, eternal joy with the Father and the Holy Ghost. We speak of Christ's birth as if were nothing. Simply just another event in the course of human history. How amazed and absolutely astonished we should be at every consideration of God taking the form of a worthless creature as man.Clearly we see that Christ is not just simply another apostle. No, as the author of Hebrews tells us Christ is, without doubt, the greatest Apostle. He is the Apostle. Marvel at the Apostle, Christ Jesus!

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