Getting Dirty in the Quagmire

Scripture Lessons

1 Samuel 1:21-28                Hannah dedicates Samuel to the Lord.

Psalm 84                               “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise!”

Hebrews 2:14-18                 Jesus became like us.

Luke 2:22-40                         Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today is a principal feast of the Church year as we observe the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. This is traditionally a day when the candles that would be used to bring light in the coming year would be blessed, thus the day also has the historic name of Candlemas. This is the fortieth day after Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. So, this would be the day that the holy family would come to the temple for the ritual purification of Mary and for the presentation of her firstborn son according to Levitical law.

Take note that the mother of our Lord, Mary, the theotokos (God-bearer) followed the law. Take note that the child Jesus, God incarnate, fulfilled the law. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it and He subjected Himself to the strictest standards of the law. “⁶ Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8.

The notion that Jesus humbled Himself in this way is an offense. It is a stumbling block, a rock of offense. According to our preconceptions of God, the Christ should not be a figure who suffers ridicule, let alone pain, suffering, and death. This is an offense and is the reason why the apostle Paul labored so hard to demonstrate, from the Old Testament Scriptures, that the Christ should suffer and die. At the time of Paul’s preaching the people knew who Jesus was and knew His claim to be the Christ. What Paul needed to convey to those people was not just that Jesus was the Christ, but that the Christ should be expected to suffer and die as Jesus did and that the Scripture demands this. As we say in the creed, “the third day He rose again according to the scriptures.” In other words, when we confess this in the Nicene creed, we are saying that the death and resurrection of Christ was in accordance with what the scriptures foretold.

In the past, some have tried to explain away the “offense” of the cross, in fact the “offense” of the incarnation. They have said that Jesus was God, but not fully man. He only seemed to be a man. This heresy is called Docetism coming from the Greek word meaning “to seem.” Other heretics have said that Jesus was man, but when He took upon Himself humanity, He emptied Himself of His divinity. This heresy is called Kenoticism. Kenosis means “to empty out” and the word is used in the passage from Philippians that I just read. However, it does not mean that Jesus emptied Himself of His divinity. That concept would lead to inconsistency within the Scripture and would render Jesus’ sacrifice unnecessary, ineffective, and fruitless. Philippians 2 says that Jesus put aside His divine prerogatives, “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” He had every right to grasp His divinity, but He put it aside. He didn’t empty Himself of divinity, He just put it aside.

In our present Bible study, each Sunday at 9am, we are studying the book of Hebrews closely. This passage from Hebrews 2 strikes at the heart of any misconception concerning the complete humanity and complete divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus shared our flesh and blood so that He could suffer and die for your sins. “He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

You may have examples in your own life of people that have come alongside you to help you out. There are some people who stand on the sideline and offer words of encouragement. Sometimes that’s just what you need. Sometimes, however, you need someone to get down into the trench with you and get dirty with you. You need someone who’s not afraid to soil themselves in whatever quagmire you have deposited yourself. And there are good people who will get down there with you and help you out when you need it.

Jesus is the example par excellence. Jesus was made like you in every respect so that He could make propitiation for your sins. He didn’t rest on His divinity, count Himself too worthy to suffer for your sake. He got down into the muck and mire of your sin. Think of the worst sin you ever committed. Jesus was right there beside you. May I say, it is as though He committed that sin in your place. For He has indeed taken upon Himself all of your sins. You may say, “Pastor, that’s quite an offensive thing to say.” I respond: You bet it is! That is the offense of the cross. That is the offense that heretics and unbelievers will not accept. They would elevate Jesus Christ in such a way as to make Him above this level of indignity.

But that is not the way of the cross and that is not the way of the Christ. He suffered indignity for you. He took your sin upon Himself. In so doing He has been exalted above all authorities on earth and in heaven. In the cross you see the true nature of God. You see the depths of His love for you. Our gracious and merciful savior is exalted through His sacrificial life-giving death. Satan’s power lies in the grave and Jesus has overcome that power and destroyed it utterly.

By faith, you have been adopted as offspring of Abraham, brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ, heirs of God’s eternal kingdom. All of this is made possible by the bitter suffering and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The next time you feel yourself slipping into sin, falling into the pit of the enemies lies, wondering if God is now going to smite you… “Will this be the final straw? Have I finally reached the limits of God’s grace?” …know that Jesus Christ is there with you, not to condemn you, but to take your sin away. Turn to Christ. Receive His forgiveness. There is no limit to the grace that He offers.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.