Christ Alone

April 16, 2006. Christ Alone. Genesis 3:14-15.

In the novel and soon to be movie entitled The Di Vinci Code the author Dan Brown asserts that the Jesus of Scripture is a manufactured myth of fourth century Christianity. The key to the novel and the movie are a series of hidden clues embedded in various places like the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo Di Vinci. Mr. Brown’s novel has been wildly successful and has many questioning the authenticity of the New Testament, the Person of Christ and the entire basis of historical Christianity.

The Di Vinci code sounds plausible because many want to believe in conspiracy theories generated by powerful people for the purpose of fooling the masses into docile submission.
The issue regarding who Jesus is, what He came to do and if He’s dead or alive is the most significant issue in your life now and for your next life. Yet what if Mr. Brown and those who agree with him are correct? What if the real Jesus of history was only a somewhat charismatic religious figure who although he said some memorable things was merely a human being just like you and me? What if he never made any claims to divinity, did not die on a cross, lived a normal life, got married, died like everyone else does, was buried and never rose from any grave? What if the Scriptures are really a concoction of fables put together by a group of religious leaders intent on grabbing power?

We are convinced however that Jesus is very much alive. Moreover, we’re convinced that His life, death and resurrection were the most significant events in human history. It’s clear from this passage that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have at least three implications.

Through Christ God has confronted Satan and evil. God promises that Satan and all that is evil will eventually be defeated. The metaphors used regarding crawling on the belly and eating dust refer to the humiliated position of an adversary that’s been utterly and permanently defeated. Satan will not achieve his desire to replace God as the object of worship and obedience. He will not achieve his goal of spreading sin, evil and chaos throughout God’s world and God’s universe nor will realize his purpose of permanently separating God’s people from Him.
Satan will be completely powerless to stop God from continuing His eternal plan to establish the human race as the objects of God’s loving affection and the ones who will inherit God’s earth. Psalm 37:8-11 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
If Jesus is a dead man just like the rest of us will be then all that the meek will inherit is an ongoing ghetto.

God promises that He will establish an eternal kingdom characterized by truth, peace, righteousness and biblical social justice. The Lord Jesus Christ will reign over all God’s creation doing what is right and just for His people. Jesus Christ and what is right, peaceful and just will have the final say on this earth not Satan. However, if Jesus is simply another dead Jew slaughtered by the Romans you can be certain that the rich, corrupt and powerful will extend and establish their unjust rule throughout the world.
Psalm 72:1-4 Of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!

What hope do we have that evil will end on its own? Are you willing to put your trust in the goodness and integrity of people? Do you fully trust your political leaders, business leaders, academic leaders or even religious leaders?
The only one powerful enough and good enough to defeat Satan and evil thoroughly and permanently is the Lord Jesus Christ. If He really is dead and His bones long ago turned to dust then we are without help and without hope.

Christ is in present conflict with Satan through His people.
God promised to establish hostility between Eve’s offspring and Satan’s. That is, God promised that there would always be a people who sought to know, worship, obey and serve Him instead of going with the flow, serving themselves and by consequence serve Satan. These people take their life direction from the word of God. Instead of following the ways of the world and the deception of Satan they’re determined to model the lifestyle of Jesus Christ. Through their way of life and their constant commitment to do good Christ’s followers act as a restraint on evil even as they highlight God’s goodness, morality, truthfulness, and justice. Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
The metaphor of salt refers to preservation and attractiveness. The metaphor of light refers to illumination from darkness. Both metaphors call for God's people to be constant contact with our communities.

Christ calls us to oppose Satan through biblically driven lifestyles. He calls us to this knowing that we will face trouble, pain, persecution, hardship and even death by following Him in this way. Matthew 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

If Christ is still dead however then the last thing you want to do is throw your life away by following His teaching and example. Yet, if He is alive then the Christ directed life is the only way to live a significant, satisfying life.

Christ alone is God’s appointed Savior, the one who crushed Satan and rescued God's people.
This is the first biblical prophecy about Jesus. It refers to how He will ultimately defeat Satan and stop the curse of death. Jesus did this through the cross when He paid the penalty of our sins and thus executing God's eternal plan of redemption.
Those who want to solve the 'mystery' of the Person of Jesus Christ need look no further than the wealth of clues contained within the Old Testament, for the Old Testament is primarily about the revelation of the Person and work of Christ, not the history of the Jewish people.

Jesus Christ alone is the reality symbolized by the Passover lamb in Exod. 12. Jesus Christ alone is the reality behind the symbol of the Day of Atonement in Lev. 16. Jesus Christ alone is the reality behind the bronze snake recorded in Num. 21. Jesus Christ alone is the prophet spoken of by Moses in Deut. 18. 'I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.'

Jesus Christ alone is the ultimate Joshua who defeats evil and brings His people safely into an eternal land of promise where God lives. Christ alone is the great king, David’s son yet David’s Lord who is destined to rule God’s people forever. Jesus Christ alone is the reality behind the temple Solomon built that’s recorded in the book of 1st Kings. Christ alone is the good king who unlike the good kings in the book of Chronicles doesn’t remain dead and leads His people in eternal faithfulness to the Father. Christ alone is the One who rebuilds the people of God so we can take our rightful place in worship and service to our Lord thus embodying the work of Nehemiah. Jesus Christ alone is the One who goes before the Father to rescue His people from certain death like Esther did.

Jesus Christ is blessed man of Psalm 1, the anointed Son in Psalm 2, the good Shepherd of Psalm 23, the King of Glory of Psalm 24 and the One who is both David's son and his Lord in Psalm 110.
Christ alone He is the wisdom of proverbs. Jesus Christ is the lover of the Song of Solomon the One who brought us into His banquet house and whose banner over us is love.

Jesus Christ alone is the substance of Isaiah’s great prophecies about the suffering servant.
He is the child that's been born and the Son whose been given in Isa. 9 and the suffering servant who was stricken, smitten and afflicted in Isa. 53. Christ alone is the One who ratifies God’s new covenant with His people in Jer. 31. Jesus Christ is the one who preaches to the valley of dry bones in Eze. 37 And then sends His Spirit to gives His people new, vital, spiritual life.

Jesus Christ alone is the husband who shows love to a wayward and rebellious people and paid the price to set us free from the bondage of death. Hosea 3:1-5 And the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins." So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, "You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you." For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward f the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

Jesus Christ alone crushed Satan on the cross by removing the sin of His people and saving us from the certain doom Satan will face. He paid the price of His life so that death could once for all be defeated.

To Him Who Loves Us...
Pastor Lance