Qualified to be our substitute
It is through this union that Christ qualified to be our substitute and representative.[1]
What union was that? See the illustration below.
He [God] could take the life of the human race because we share a common life that began in Adam. He took the corporate life of the human race and He put it into Christ at the incarnation. Before Jesus could save us, before He could be our substitute, He had to qualify to be our substitute. God qualified Him by taking the corporate life of the human race and putting it into Christ.[2]
Heb 10 (v. 5) Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.” (v. 7) ....Behold, I have come, in the volume of the book it is written of Me; to do Your will, Oh God.
....The Son of God took upon him human nature, --"the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." "God was manifest in the flesh." The union of divinity with humanity, brings to the fallen race a value which we scarcely comprehend.[3]
Image #1
The human and the divine were united “in Christ”, in order that he might represent those who should believe in him. He took our nature, and passed through our experiences, and as our representative he assumed our responsibilities.[3]
This bible commentary says: that the human and the divine were united “in Christ,” in order that He might represent those who should believe in him.
Why did He have to qualify to be our substitute and our representative?
Deut 24 (v. 16) The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.
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In fact, no Law, will allow an innocent man to die in place of a guilty person!!
Was Christ a sinner that He should die for His own sins?
1 Pet 2 (v. 21) For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,...(v. 22) Who committed no sin, Nor was guile found in His mouth.
Why did an innocent man have to die?
....Because, God united the divine life of his Son, with our corporate condemned life, that needed redeeming ( I cor 1:30 ).
*******To review it again, click here*******
Jesus had to “put on” the nature of what He came to redeem, so that He could be a perfect and ethical redeemer.
Rom 8 (v. 3) For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.
While a female also have a piece of physical skin that will be removed when she is married, her skin of her virginity is a symbol of purity, not a symbol of sin. This is important because the Messiah had to come through a virgin alone and no male would be involved in passing on of the seed of Adam to the Messiah. The male alone has the physical symbol of sin in his body, so the Messiah’s birth through a virgin woman would produce an untainted, and sinless Messiah with no sin nature.[4] ***For more detailed information about this: click on this link***
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II Cor 5 (v. 21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,...
He didn’t just die for us, with no association to mankind; but rather He died “as us” and “with us” together, corporately, the whole human race.
II Cor 5 (v. 14) ....because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died....
The whole human race died on that day, because we were all "in Christ" when he was crucified on the cross.
Next, we will find out about, how our death "in Christ" changed our legal status.
You plead my cause....You gave Your life, to give me mine....You say that I'm free....How can it be.... video ref. [5]
References:
1. Savior of the world Bible Course, (2000). Lesson 3, “The Truth as it is In Christ.”
2. Vineyard Ministries. “The In Christ Motif” Tape 7B. The Gospel in a Nutshell, Audiocassette.
3. The Signs of the Times, (30 May 1895). “Christ Our Complete Salvation”.
4. Cheryl Schatz, (2008). http://www.mmoutreach.org/wim/2008/03/10/circumcision-the-woman-and-the-kinsman-redeemer/
5. Lauren Daigle (Lyrics) "How Can It Be" Online video. YouTube, 1 Sep 2020. https://youtu.be/xQ_XxOmQQdI
Image #1: Philip N. Odhner, (2015). How the incarnation of God took place. Retrieved from http://www.swedenborgstudy.com/books/P.N.Odhner_Christ-and-Trinity/Odhner-Trinity.htm
Image #2: Padgett’s Creek Baptist church, (n.d.). Why did Jesus have to die? Retrieved from http://www.padgettscreekbaptistchurch.org/jesus/
Image #3: The Cove Community, (2017). The two great facts about Christ. Retrieved from http://thecovecommunity.blogspot.com/2017/04/sundays-sermon-why-doesnt-god-make.html
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