“He Claimed Our Sins as His Own [Part 3]”

Easter Saturday

Philippians 2

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

These words contain so much.

The form is that what we see. It is what an object is recognised as when someone sees that object.

Jesus came to reveal God. He did not consider it robbery to be seen as God. Jesus didn’t take anything from God that wasn’t His when He came to reveal God in the flesh.

While He walked this earth He was God Himself, the eternal God. The Bible often refers to this fact.

We read in

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This refers to Jesus. Although He appeared in the flesh He is God Almighty.

He didn’t rob God of anything by revealing Himself as God, for He was the eternal God.

What does the form refer to? The Bible reveals that to us.

God’s form is light, omnipotent, righteous, His eyes are like flames of fire, His feet like bronze in a furnace.

In Revelation it describes God’s form. There He appears in the form of a man, although all the characteristics of God was still in Him. He humbled Himself and became a man.

There’s a story about a famous emperor of Russia. His name was Peter. One day he travelled to Germany and Holland and England to learn from them to help his people. He removed his emperor clothes and went to those countries.

He noticed that the people in his country were suffering much, so he decided to visit those countries to live among those people and learn from them, and then go back to his people and teach them what he learnt.

He arrived in Holland at the shipyards to see how they built ships and to see how the carpenters worked. He worked as a carpenter and went out with the other carpenters, and so he learnt. He worked alongside the other workers and they didn’t realise that he was the emperor of Russia.

At night he was busy sending instructions back to Russia as to what must be done to run the country. While working with the other carpenters he still knew that he had to run his country and he was faithful in that. But he wanted his people to progress and that’s why he learnt more.

Jesus said, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay down His head. He was with the poor and went through many hardships. All the while He was the King of kings, but He put away His kingly robes to help the children of men.

He was the good Samaritan, turning aside to help the one robbed by the devil and left for dead. He made Himself of no reputation, to help you and me.

He saw people bound by sin. He came to set them free.

When God the Father asked what shall we do, He answered that He was wiling to go and be the sacrifice according to His Father’s will.

He saw that we were lost, to be condemned, but He came and took on the form of a man to be able to save us from our slavery, by being the sacrifice for sin.

He saw how people came to the temple, brought their offerings and left again in their old state without being helped.

Sin entered the world through a woman. Women can be of great help but also of great wickedness. Women who through abortion tear apart their innocent child so close to their heart are dangerous.

When Jesus united Himself with our sin, He was punished as we should have been punished, even to the point of being forsaken by His Father with Whom He had eternal union.

That’s why He can save to the uttermost for He was obedient to the end.

The amazing thing is because He humbled Himself, God raised Him up and set Him at His own right hand where He was before.

Jesus was God, and He was not a usurper, making Himself out to be Someone He was not. But He humbled Himself and became nothing and humbled Himself even further unto death to save you and me.

Zechariah 13

6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

God’s word is the Bread of Life. If we eat thereof it brings us life.

1 John 1

9 If we confess our sins,he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

On the Lord’s supper we read:

1 Cor 10

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

If you partake of the Lord’s supper and of demons you take a curse upon yourself.

1 Cor 11

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Are you one with God’s people or with the people of the world?

Do not let the Lord’s supper be a curse to you because you haven’t examined yourself as you ought.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

So search yourself whether you are worthy. If you partake in ancestral worship and take of the Lord’s supper it will not be a blessing to you but a curse.

You might worry about a sin that you don’t remember. That’s not something that will bring a curse upon you. You will be guilty because of a sin you are aware of and you don’t do anything about it.