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BIRTH AND LIFE OF JESUS. Howard Taylor.
47 Q. What was the fulfilment of God's relationship with Israel? A. The fulfilment was the coming into Israel of Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, his dying and rising for us. The vocation of Israel, the suffering of God, judgement and forgiveness reached their fulfilment at the cross where he died, bearing all their rebellion and hate in his body. Yet wonderfully he died not only for their sin but for the sin of all people everywhere and in all time, for all the world has been spoilt by hate and rebellion, not only Israel. Their sin represents our sin. 48. Q. How did he come to Israel? A. He was born into a Jewish family through Mary his mother. He thus became one with Israel and the whole human family. In the humanity of Jesus God has embraced us all becoming bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. In a real sense then, God has married himself to the human race. (This is why the New Testament doctrine of human marriage is based on the redemption of the world in Christ. Marriage is thus a very sacred relationship whose heart is the self-giving love of God for a sinful humanity.) 49. Q. Who was the father of Jesus? A. The coming of the Son of God was both continuous and discontinuous with the history of Israel. His mother was Jewish, yet at the time of his birth, she was still a virgin. Something from heaven had broken into the history of Israel. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 50. Q. When we speak of Jesus, are we speaking of God or a man? A. Both. He is Son of God and Son of Man. In the man Jesus, the very person of God has bound himself to our human being. This means that the human life of Jesus really does bring us into the presence of God. Jesus is not a go-between person relaying messages to and from a distant God. His humanity brings us face to face with God. This is what the Bible means when it says 'There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus'. The humanity of Jesus mediates the very person of God to us. 51 Q. What kind of baptism did John the Baptist administer to Jesus? A. It was a water baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 52. Q. How could this be so since Jesus, being without sin, needed no repentance or forgiveness? A. Jesus was baptised to 'fulfil all righteousness'. In our humanity he identified himself with our condition. He confessed the sins of the world on our behalf. Our own confession and repentance are always inadequate but in union with Christ our confession and repentance become real. 53. Q. What was the result of his baptism? A. His Father poured down upon him the Holy Spirit. He received on our behalf the power of the Holy Spirit which was his anointing for his ministry as the Messiah. 54. Q. Was his ministry on earth easy for him? A. No. He suffered much and was tempted greatly by Satan. 55. Q. How would you summarise the life and ministry of Jesus before his death? A. We see his victory over evil powers in his work of driving out demons. We see his compassion and forgiveness to the sinner. His terrible judgement of pride and self-righteousness is seen in his confrontation with the religious leaders. We see his victory over decay, disease and death in his healing miracles, as well as a foretaste of the new creation in his mastery over the forces of nature. His teaching explains the meaning of the kingdom of God and his whole life gives us a knowledge of God and ourselves. His relationship as Son to his Father is seen particularly in his prayer life. His relationship to both God and man shows him as servant of all. All of this was brought to a climax when he died on the cross. REFERENCES 47 Is. 53; Luke 24:44; Matt. 1:22, 2:15, 12:17-21; Matt. 13:35; 21:4-5, 26:54-56. 48.-50. Luke 1:26-35; Matt. 1:18-25; Is. 7:14; John 1:14; Gen. 2:23-24; Eph. 5:22-33; John 14:7-10; 1 Tim. 2:5. 51. Mark 1:4. 52-53. Matt.3:13ff; Luke3:2lff; Heb. 2:10-18. 54. Luke 4:1-12; John 11:34-38; Mark 14:32-42; 15:16-37; 9:19; Heb. 2:29-31, 5:7-8. 55 Mark 1:21-28; Matt. 12:22-29; John 8:1-11; Matt. 23:1-39, 9:1-7; John 11:38-44; Mark 4:35-41; Matt. 5,6,7; John 13:1-20; 17. _______
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