Sermon#997 Miscellaneous Sermons

Title: "He Was Made"

Text: Hebrews 7:20

Subject: What Christ was made to be as our Substitute

Readings:

Date: Sunday Morning – October 20, 1991

Tape:

Introduction:

All that the Lord Jesus Christ is as God, in his Divine Being, he is, if I may be permitted to use such language, by nature, from all eternity. Omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, majesty and glory, infinity and immutability, sovereignty and supremacy, all are his by nature as God. But everything Christ is as the God-man, our Mediator, Substitute, and Representative, he was made to be, by virtue of his voluntary obedience to the Father’s will as our Savior, the Surety of the everlasting covenant. Today, I want to tell you what Christ was made to be for the salvation of his people. You will find my text and the title of my message in Hebrews 7:20 – "He Was Made."

As we read through the New Testament, we find these three simple and powerfully significant words repeatedly used to describe the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ – "He was made!"


"He was made" – Three words that sound like the deep notes of a great organ in the cathedral of John’s gospel.

"He was made"- Three words that appear as guiding lights upon high towers through the mountain ranges of Hebrews.

"He was made" – Three words that bloom like fragrant, springtime flowers in the fertile gardens of 1 and 2 Corinthians.

"He was made" – Three words that form the solid foundation of all biblical theology in those masterpieces of Pauline theology: Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians.

This book that I hold in my hands, the Word of God, is a Book about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the subject of every verse, the theme of every chapter, the chief character of every story. This is a "Him book." It is all about "Him" - The Lord Jesus Christ who was always tender, but never weak – Meek and lowly, but never timid and servile – mighty in conviction, but never cynical – zealous, but never fanatical – even perfectly holy, but never Pharisaic – passionate for the truth, but never tainted with prejudice – He never took a false step. He never spoke a false word. He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." "Never a man spoke like this Man," because there never was a man like this Man. He is the God-Man, the Man who is God! And this Book is all about him!

I want you to keep your Bibles open on your laps and follow me through the Scriptures. We are going to look at 10 passages of Holy Scripture to see what Christ was made to be for us.

Proposition:

All that Christ was made to be, he was made to be for one specific, glorious purpose. All that Christ was made, he was made for us, so that he might redeem unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

I. In the beginning, before ever the earth was made, when the Triune God dwelt alone in the solitude of everlasting glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God "was made a Surety of a better Testament" (Heb. 7:22).

I have often shown you that the word translated "Testament" is the same word that is usually translated "covenant" in the Word of God. Christ was made the Surety of the Everlasting Covenant from eternity.

Illustration: Judah (Gen. 43:9).

A. The conditions of grace were proposed.

B. The Son of God volunteered to meet all the conditions required by God as our Substitute.

C. God the Father gave his elect into the hands of his Son, trusting him as our Surety, to redeem us.

D. The Father struck hands with the Son, and the covenant of grace was ordered in all things and sure (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Sam. 23:5). "He was made a Surety!" "Deliver him from going down into the pit, I have found a ransom!"

II. John 1:14 – "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Why?

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" (Rom. 8:3).

The first chapter of John is a marvelous compendium of sacred theology.

A. "In the beginning was the Word" – These words teach us the eternality of Christ.

B. "And the Word was with God" – These words teach us the equality of the Son with the Father.

C. "And the Word was God" – These words teach us the Deity of Christ and the plurality of the Persons in the Godhead.

D. "The same was in the beginning with God" – These words teach us our Savior’s pre-existence as the Word, the Revealer of God!

E. "All things were made by him" – These words teach us that Christ is the Creator of all things.

F. "In him was life" – These words teach us that all life is in Christ, comes from Christ, and finds its fullness in Christ. Christ is our Life!

G. "And the Light shineth in darkness" – Those words speak of the revelation of Christ.

H. "And the darkness comprehended it not" – These words reveal the moral depravity and spiritual darkness of all men since the fall of our father Adam.

I. And the Word was made flesh" – These words describe the incarnation of the Son of God, the union of two natures in Christ (2 Cor. 8:9).

All his other works God could do, and did do, without any cost or sacrifice. But God, in his matchless, infinite holiness, could not save his elect except by the sacrifice of his darling Son for us. Therefore, in order to save us, "The word was made flesh!" God almighty came into this world in a body of human flesh. He lived and breathed, grew and learned, hungered and thirsted, worked and ate, grew weary and slept, and suffered and died as a man. Yet, he never ceased to be God! "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us!"

III. Galatians 4:4 – "When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."

Here Paul tells us two more things about the incarnation of Christ. He was "made of a woman." And he was "made under the law."

A. The first statement speaks of our Savior’s virgin birth. Christ was "made of a woman" (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:30-35).

Some doctrines are essential to biblical Christianity. Those who deny, or do not believe them are not Christians, but infidels. To deny them is to deny the faith.

    • The sovereign character of God.

    • The total depravity of man.

    • The deity of Christ.

    • Effectual redemption.

    • Irresistible grace.


These are fundamentals of the faith. And another of those vital indisputable, undebateable articles of faith is the virgin birth of Christ. We do not adulate, praise, or worship the virgin Mary. She was a sinner just like us, saved by grace through faith in Christ. But we do worship, adore, and praise the Son of Mary, who is the Son of God, who came forth from the virgin’s womb.

I fully agree with I. M. Haldeman, who wrote, "He who denies the virgin birth denies Bible Christianity, smites the mother of our Lord with shame, snatches the crown of deity from Jesus’ brow, strips Christ of his sinless humanity, makes the cross a bloodstained failure, and bids us face eternity with no light in the darkness." He who can alter the order of nature will have no problem altering the will of man.

B. The second statement in Galatians 4:4 speaks of our Lord’s voluntary humiliation and obedience to God as our Representative – He was "made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law." – Moral, Ceremonial, Civil.

In order to save his people from their sins, in order to redeem us from the curse of the law by his death, the God-man had to first establish righteousness as a man for us by his obedience to every requirement of God’s holy law. He brought in everlasting righteousness.

"So, for us who deserved death, Christ was made under the law, and died under the law, but his death was the end of the law for righteousness" (R. G. Lee).

Someone once said, "He arranged his own death sentence when he made the law and then bore his own fixed penalty in his own body on the tree."

    • Christ made the law.

    • Christ was made under the law.

    • Christ obeyed the law in his life.

    • Christ satisfied the law in his death.

    • And Christ is the end of the law.

    • If I am in Christ, I can no more be made to be under the law than he can be made under the law again. In him, I am free from the law! "He was made of a woman, made under the law."


IV. In Romans 1:3 Paul is describing "the gospel of God concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" and declares that he "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh."

This refers to the royal descent of Christ from David’s family and asserts his rightful claim as a man to David’s throne. It is a declaration that he is indeed the Christ, the Messiah…

    • Typified by David.

    • Prophesied by David.

    • Promised by David.

    • Descended from David.


"He was made of the seed of David."

V. 2 Corinthians – God the Father "hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

What an astounding statement! I know of nothing more vastly vast! Here is the holy of holies into which unhallowed eyes cannot look, behind the veil of which unsanctified minds cannot intrude.

A. The Lord Jesus Christ "knew no sin."

"In him is no sin!"

He challenged the Jews, saying, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" The very worst thing that his enemies could say of him was, "He made himself the Son of God." "Being a man, he made himself equal with God." And, "This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them!" Pilate said repeatedly, "I find no fault in him!" His wife called him, "This just man!" Judas, refusing to die with the lie on his lips, said, "I have betrayed innocent blood!" And the centurion who watched him die said, "Surely, this Man was the Son of God!" "He knew no sin!"

B. Yet, he was "made to be sin for us!"

All the sins of God’s elect being imputed to him by the hand of God himself, Christ was made sin, he was made to be the greatest sinner who ever lived, and died under the penalty of sin as the object of God’s holy wrath, because in the eyes of God’s law, he fully deserved to die! Christ "his ownself bare our sins in his own body on the tree!" "He was made," by a marvelous transfer of grace, "to be sin for us," the people of his love!

We have been looking at wondrous things today. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of glory, was…

    • Made a Sur1ety!

    • Made flesh

    • Made of a woman!

    • Made under the law!

    • Made of the seed of David!


But here is the wonder of wonders, the greatest miracle of mercy, the greatest deed of grace, the greatest act of God – He was "made to be sin for us!" Why?

C. "That we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Though God loved his elect with an everlasting love and chose us as the heirs of eternal salvation, God could not and would not have us unless we were made to be perfectly righteous in his sight. And he could not make us righteous without the satisfaction of his justice. And his holy justice could not slay his innocent Son. The sword of justice could never slay an innocent Substitute. Before God could cry, "Awake, O sword against my Son," the Son of God must be made to be sin for us! "He was made to be sin for us!"

VI. Galatians 3:13 – When the Lord Jesus Christ was made to be sin for us, he was made a curse for us! "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree." (See Deut. 21:23.)

Imagine that! The Son of God, who delights to do his Father’s will, who always pleased his Father, who has now come to the final act of his voluntary obedience, is made a curse for us!

    • He was made the object of God’s wrath!

    • He died under the terrifying fury of God’s justice!

    • He was made a curse for us!"


VII. But now the curse is removed from him. God promised him a throne of universal dominion as the reward of his obedience. "Therefore," we read in Acts 2:36, "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

    • John 17:2

    • Philippians 2:9-11

    • Hebrews 2:9

    • Isaiah 45:22-25!


The basis of his appeal to sinners in the gospel is his sovereign Lordship! "He was made both Lord and Christ!"

VIII. Hebrews 7:20 – "He was made Priest!"

He was not made a priest. He was not made one priest among many. "He was made priest." The only Priest and Mediator between God and man!

    • A sacrificing Priest!

    • A sympathizing Priest!

    • A saving Priest!

    • A serving Priest!

    • A satisfied Priest!

    • A sovereign Priest! – "A Priest upon a throne!"


IX. 1 Corinthians 15:45 – Because he has satisfied the law, being made sin and a curse for sin, because he is a King with sovereign authority to give life to whom he will, because he is the Priest whom God appointed, anointed, and accepted, the Lord Jesus Christ has been made a quickening Spirit – "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit."

That simply means – "The Son quickeneth whom he will" (John 5:21). The Lord Jesus Christ gives eternal life to all to whom he wills to give eternal life.

    • All for whom He is a Surety!

    • All for whom He was made to be Sin!

    • All for whom He suffered the curse of the law!

    • All for whom He prays! (As a Priest!).

    • All who hear His voice!


X. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 – If the Lord Jesus Christ, who was made a quickening Spirit, has given you life and faith by his sovereign grace, then He is made of God unto you "Wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

In other words, Christ is to you all that God requires from you! With regard to the everlasting salvation of our souls, "Christ is all!"

A. Christ is our wisdom.

  1. Representatively before God.

  2. Efficiently, giving us wisdom from God.

  3. Objectively, it being our highest wisdom to know him and be found in him.


B. Christ is our righteousness.

As he was made to be sin for us by divine imputation, so we have been made the righteousness of God in him, by the same method, to the same degree.

  1. Christ our Righteousness is that righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

  2. Christ our Righteousness is that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord!"


C. Christ is our Sanctification – In Christ we…

  1. Were set apart for holy purposes from eternity (Jude 1).

  2. Declared to be holy in justification (Heb. 10:10, 14).

  3. Made holy in regeneration by the righteous nature of Christ being imparted to us (1 Cor. 6:11). Through the washing of regeneration by the word (Eph. 5:26; Tit. 3:5).


D. Christ is our redemption.

  1. He has redeemed us from the curse of the law, the penalty of sin.

  2. He has redeemed us from the dominion, rule, and power of sin.

  3. He shall redeem us from the grave, from the being of sin and the consequences of sin.


Application:

Do you see the fullness of those words – "He was made"? "He was made…"

  1. The Surety of a Better Covenant!

  2. Flesh!

  3. Of a woman! Made under the law!

  4. Of the seed of David!

  5. Sin for us!

  6. A Curse for us!

  7. Lord and Christ!

  8. Priest!

  9. A Quickening Spirit!

  10. Unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption!


Why are these things revealed as they are in the Scripture? "That according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord!"


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner