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and that You govern all Your 
creatures and all their actions. We also praise You, God, for 
redemption, for the salvation that we enjoy because of the 
finished work of our blessed Savior. We ask that You would 
guide our thoughts now as we consider Scripture, as we consider 
our confessional statement concerning what Scripture teaches about 
the Mediator, and we pray that You would just draw out our hearts 
in love and worship and adoration to our great God. And we pray 
these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We can turn to 
chapter 8 of Christ the Mediator. I'll read the chapter, and then 
we'll review a bit, and then get on to new material in this 
particular section. So, chapter 8 of Christ the Mediator, 
beginning in paragraph 1, it pleased God in His eternal purpose 
to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, 
according to the covenant made between them, both to be the 
mediator between God and man, the prophet, priest, and king, 
head and savior of his church, the heir of all things, and judge 
of the world, unto whom he did from all eternity give a people 
to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called 
justified, sanctified, and glorified. The Son of God, the second person 
in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness 
of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with Him, 
who made the world, who upholdeth and governeth all things He hath 
made, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him 
man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities 
thereof, yet without sin. being conceived by the Holy Spirit 
in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon 
her, and the power of the Most High overshadowing her. And so 
it was made of a woman, of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of 
Abraham and David, according to the Scriptures, so that two 
whole, perfect and distinct natures were inseparably joined together 
in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion, which 
person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator 
between God and man. The Lord Jesus, in His human 
nature thus united to the Divine in the person of the Son, was 
sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure. 
having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in whom 
it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell. To the 
end that, being wholly harmless, undefiled, and full of grace 
and truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office 
of a mediator in surety, which office he took not upon himself, 
but was thereunto called by his Father, who also put all power 
and judgment in his hand, and gave him commandment to execute 
the same. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, 
which, that He might discharge, He was made under the law, and 
did perfectly fulfill it, and underwent the punishment due 
to us, which we should have borne and suffered, being made sin 
and a curse for us, enduring most grievous sorrows in His 
soul, and most painful sufferings in His body, was crucified, and 
died, and remained in the state of the dead, yet saw no corruption. 
On the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in 
which He suffered, with which He also ascended into heaven, 
and there sitteth at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, 
and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the 
world. The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience and sacrifice 
of Himself, which He, through the Eternal Spirit, once offered 
up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of God, procured 
reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in 
the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given 
unto Him. Although the price of redemption 
was not actually paid by Christ till after His incarnation, yet 
the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated to 
the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, 
in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein He was 
revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman, which 
should bruise the serpent's head, and the lamb slain from the foundation 
of the world, being the same yesterday and today and forever. 
Christ in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures, 
by each nature doing that which is proper to itself. Yet by reason 
of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature 
is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the person denominated by 
the other nature. To all those for whom Christ 
hath obtained eternal redemption, He doth certainly and effectually 
apply and communicate the same, making intercession for them, 
uniting them to Himself by His Spirit, revealing unto them in 
and by the Word the mystery of salvation, persuading them to 
believe and obey. governing their hearts by His 
Word and Spirit, and overcoming all their enemies by His almighty 
power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant 
to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation, and all of free 
and absolute grace, without any condition foreseen in them to 
procure it. This office of mediator between 
God and man is proper only to Christ, who is the prophet, priest, 
and King of the Church of God, and may not be, either in whole 
or any part thereof, transferred from Him to any other. This number 
and order of offices is necessary, for in respect of our ignorance, 
we stand in need of His prophetical office. and in respect of our 
alienation from God and imperfection of the best of our services, 
we need his priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable 
unto God. And in respect of our averseness 
and utter inability to return to God and for our rescue and 
security from our spiritual adversaries, we need his kingly office to 
convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to His 
heavenly kingdom. Amen. Well, just by way of a 
bit of review, we noticed in paragraph one, the pre-temporal 
appointment of the mediator. What do we refer to this covenant 
as in paragraph one? According to the covenant made 
between them both to be the mediator between God and man. What is 
that covenant referred or called? Does anybody know? The pactum salutis, so the covenant 
of redemption. And remember in paragraph, or 
chapter seven in paragraph three, our confession acknowledges those 
three theological covenants. There is a covenant of grace, 
a covenant of redemption, and a covenant of works. The covenant 
of grace is given in order to accomplish what was established 
in the covenant of redemption and was not achieved because 
of the brokenness of the covenant of works. So as the confession 
traces of Christ the mediator, it goes back to eternity past 
to establish that he was the one chosen by the Father for 
the work of salvation. Paragraph two deals with what 
we call the hypostatic union. And what does that mean, the 
hypostatic union? Go ahead, Isaac, you're so good. 
Jesus has two natures, they're both separate, but they're both 
the same person. They're united in the same person. 
Excellent. We have one person of Christ, 
Trinity, Divinity, and Humanity. And so paragraph two explains 
that. It gives the Biblical context 
concerning the second person of the Trinity taking on our 
humanity. It's a robust and full and wonderful 
summary statement concerning the mystery of the entire nation. 
And then he's cited in context with that the symbol of Chalcedon. 
If you look specifically at the end of paragraph 2, it says, 
"...so that two whole, perfect and distinct natures were inseparably 
joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, 
or confusion, which person is very God and very man, yet one 
Christ, the only mediator between God and man." And then the symbol 
of Chalcedon, the Creed of Chalcedon in AD 451, says, we then, following 
the Holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess 
one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect 
in Godhead and also perfect in manhood, truly God and truly 
man, of a reasonable, irrational soul and body, consubstantial 
with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial 
with us according to the manhood. in all things like unto us without 
sin, begotten before all ages of the Father according to the 
Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, 
born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the 
manhood, one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to 
be acknowledged in two natures, inconceivably, unchangeably, 
indivisibly, inseparably. the distinction of natures being 
by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property 
of each nature being preserved, and can carry in one person and 
one subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but 
one and the same Son. And only do doctrines God the 
Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning 
have declared concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself 
has taught us, and the Creed of the Holy Fathers has handed 
down to us. Now, as we emphasize this, and as we go through John's 
Gospel, and I'm emphasizing this, it's part of a desire to retrieve 
what the Church, in many respects, has lost or at least given up 
in the last generation. For those who are studying, in 
the Saturday morning context, that book, Simply Trinity, by 
Matthew Barrett, before he gets into a positive presentation 
concerning divine simplicity and the trinity of God, He shows 
that we've gone adrift in the Church today. He shows that the 
major systematic theologies written in the last generation have by 
and large neglected these very important, absolutely essential 
emphases that the Bible sets forth, and that the Church has 
always sought to articulate and to contract. We need to get it 
right who Jesus Christ is. We need to get it right, who 
God is. You see that in John's gospel, specifically in John 
8. Jesus says, if you do not believe that I am, you will die 
in your sins. And so it's not the case that 
we simply pray for Jesus to enter into our hearts, and we just 
accept him into our hearts, and then we just move on and we're 
done with it. We need to know who Jesus is. We need to know 
who God Almighty is, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That's why 
we're taking the time to move through this confession of faith 
and why we take the time in this study of John to sort of highlight 
consubstantiality. If we don't have a Savior who 
has the nature of God, then we are dead in our trespasses and 
sins. And so it's most crucial that the church retrieves this, 
Chalcedon, Nicaea, what we have in our 17th century Confessions 
of Faith, not just so we can be proud and arrogant and sort 
of lambast others around us who don't know as much, but it's 
through the knowledge of God that we find comfort and encouragement 
and strength to navigate in this lower world. I mean, this chapter 
alone, reading who Christ is and what Christ has done, hopefully 
brings a great deal of encouragement to our weary hearts and provides 
the comfort and the strength that we need each and every day 
as we navigate through a world that is chaotic and that is confused 
and that is so filled with wickedness and evil. So after having engaged 
in this explanation of the Incarnation, all throughout paragraphs 2 to 
8 we basically have the historical stages of the Mediator. So paragraph 
2 deals with this Incarnation. Now we pick up in paragraph 3 
and follow it. Paragraph 3 speaks to his anointing, 
his anointing, with reference to his office as mediator. And 
whenever the confession speaks of him as mediator, typically 
it refers to what is involved in being a mediator. He's prophet, 
priest, and king. The confession emphasizes that 
a lot in this particular chapter, and it will summarize in paragraph 
10 why this is important at a practical level. Why do we need a prophet? 
Why do we need a priest? Why do we need a king? So paragraph 
three deals with his anointing, and then paragraphs four to eight 
deal with his work, his work specifically. So it's very common 
in theology to discuss the person and the work of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. The person refers to paragraph two, the person refers 
to paragraph three, obviously his fitness or suitability for 
the work as mediator. And then as I said, paragraphs 
four to eight detail what he's done. In other words, the second 
person of the Trinity took on our humanity with all the essential 
properties and the common infirmities thereof, and yet without sin. 
He's the suitable mediator for sinners, and so then it describes 
in great detail what he has done, undertaking this work that was 
given to him by the Father for the benefit of the sinners given 
to him by the Father. So notice first in paragraph 
three his anointing. Now when it says, the Lord Jesus 
in his human nature thus united to the divine, we're obviously 
thinking of what we just saw in paragraph two. Now it says, 
in the person of the Son was sanctified and anointed with 
the Holy Spirit above measure. Where is this taught in Scripture? 
That he was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure. 
Anybody know? John 3.34 for sure. Any other 
passages besides John 3.34? baptism of Jesus. Sometimes people 
teach that it was at the baptism of Jesus that that is when God 
distinguished him as my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Almost as if the prior 30 years 
Jesus wasn't his beloved son in whom he is well pleased. The 
baptism didn't constitute him as the son of God, the one in 
whom the Father is well pleased. The baptism validates, confirms, 
affirms, and also indicates that he is the fulfillment of the 
prophets. In the prophet Isaiah chapter 
42, and in the prophet Isaiah chapter 61, and then in Isaiah 
11 as well, we see that the Spirit of the Lord comes upon the Messiah. The Spirit of the Lord comes 
upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And again, that's not according 
to his divinity, it's according to his function as man being 
fitted for the work that had been given to him in the work 
of mediation for his people. So in Matthew 3, for instance, 
you see that scene at the River Jordan. You see that scene where 
all three persons of the Trinity are present. And in 3.13 it says, 
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized 
by him. And John tried to prevent him, 
saying, I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to 
me? But Jesus answered and said to him, Permit it to be so now, 
for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. 
We know that's a particular emphasis in the work of mediation, because 
Christ brings the gift of justification, the grace of justification to 
his people. Justification includes not only 
the forgiveness of sins, but the imputation of Christ's righteousness. So that's what he's speaking 
to in verse 15. It is fitting for us to fulfill 
all righteousness. Then he allowed him. Now notice 
in verse 16, when he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately 
from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and 
he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon 
him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is 
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Again, this is 
not constituting him as such, but it's affirming him as such. There's something called an adoptionist 
Christology, which teaches that the man Jesus from Nazareth was 
so approved by God that God adopted him to that position of son to 
carry out the work of redemption. So we've been studying in John's 
Gospel. Jesus is not the Son of God by creation or by adoption, 
but He's the Son of God by nature. So that doesn't come to pass 
at the River Jordan. What we see is what the Confession 
indicates in paragraph 3. The Lord Jesus in His human nature, 
thus united to the divine in the person of the Son, was sanctified 
and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure. And then, yeah, 
turn over to John 3. John 3, specifically at verse 
34. For he whom God has sent speaks 
the word of God. For God does not give the Spirit 
by measure. The Father loves the Son and 
has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the 
Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son 
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. So he is 
given this by the Father in terms of the work of mediation. So 
as the God-man, he is set apart, confirmed and affirmed for this 
particular work. That's why we refer to this particular 
chapter or paragraph as his anointing. And then notice specifically 
it goes on to say, having in him all the treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge. Where does that come from in 
Scripture? Where does the Bible teach that 
in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? And Colossians 2, 3 specifically 
says, in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 
So again, it's underscoring the suitability of Christ to fulfill 
the work of redemption. It's a wonderful thing if you 
think about it. You ask the question, who does 
the Father send to save us from our sins? Is he up to the task? 
Is he fit and ready for the task? Paragraph 3 says, yes, he is 
fit and ready for the task. He is most suitable for what 
he faces in terms of the work of salvation. It says, in whom 
it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell. It's Colossians 
2.9. To the end, being holy, harmless, 
and undefiled. That's Hebrews 7. Full of grace 
and truth. John 1, he might be thoroughly 
furnished to execute the office of a mediator in surety. Hebrews 
7, which office he took not upon himself, but was there unto called 
by his father, who also put all power and judgment in his hand, 
and gave him commandment to execute the same. So one of the other 
points I want to make here is that when they come to describe 
Christ's suitability, they don't just make it up. They don't just 
say, wouldn't it be nice if our Savior sort of had these characteristics, 
if our Savior sort of manifested this disposition, or our Savior 
had this power? They're pulling right out of 
Scripture. They're putting together this confession of faith as a 
summary of Scriptural teaching. We don't hold to this confession 
insofar as it is biblical, but we hold to this confession because 
it is biblical. It has stood the test of time, 
and it manifests itself as being a wonderful articulation of Christian 
doctrine at the level of the doctrine that is being considered. 
So Christ is suitable for the work that the Father has given 
Him. And again, it's somewhat of a general statement. his suitability 
for that work, and then at the end of paragraph three it says, 
which office he took not upon himself, but was there unto called 
by his father. Now in paragraph four and following 
it details his work. Notice again, paragraph four 
is sort of another general statement, capturing from scripture a great 
summary statement concerning the redemptive work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Notice in paragraph four, this 
office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake. How do we 
know that? How do we know that Jesus did 
most willingly undertake this? He wasn't forced. He wasn't, 
you know, gun to his head. If you know what's good for you, 
son, then you'll come out and do this. Why or how can we substantiate 
that Jesus did most willingly undertake this? Prayer in the garden definitely 
evidences that. Any others? That's right, he gives it willingly 
for the sheep. The text here, the reference 
here is in Psalm 40 and then in Hebrews chapter 10. I delight 
to do thy will, O God, is what the Son says. But also in terms 
of theology, so we have specific biblical passages that underscore 
that this office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake. 
But if we step back from specific texts and exegesis, how theologically 
do we know that the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake 
this? Absolutely. They have one will, 
one power, they have the same nature. Excellent. Any other 
sort of theological construct by which we know that the Lord 
Jesus did most willingly undertake this? Hint, it's in the chapter, and 
it was in the chapter before in paragraph three. It's all 
I can give you in terms of a hint. Covenant of? Redemption, that's 
right. So the father says, here's a 
miserable lot of hell-deserving sinners, and the son steps up 
and willingly responds to be or complies to be their surety. 
That quote from John Flavel that I read typically anytime I mention 
the covenant of redemption. Christ willingly undertakes. We see those emphases as well 
in John's Gospel. We saw it in John 4, verse 34. 
My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish 
His work. When it comes to Christ's willingness 
for the task, He has that will, He has that desire. And with 
reference to Christ as mediator, as Nathan says, in terms of his 
divinity, there is one will, one power, same nature with reference 
to the Godhead. But in terms of Christ as mediator, 
Christ has two wills. He has a will according to his 
divinity that is in common with the Father and the Son, but he 
has a will according to his humanity, because that is part and parcel 
of being a person. That is part and parcel of having 
a human nature, it's having a will. And it was Ryan who mentioned 
in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew 26, you see there, according 
to his humanity, understanding the wrath of God that lay, you 
know, behind this particular cup that he's asked to drink, 
he says, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And 
so Christ does most willingly undertake. And notice what the 
confession goes on to say, which that he might discharge, he was 
made under the law. What Bible verse tells us that? He was made under the law. That's 
right, Galatians 4.4. So again, it's describing now 
the perfect suitability of the Savior and how it is that he 
can function as a perfectly suitable Savior in order to redeem us 
from our sins. So he's made under the law, he 
perfectly fulfills that law, and he undergoes the punishment 
due to us, which we should have borne and suffered, being made 
sin and a curse for us. Where does that come up in Scripture? This idea of Christ having been 
made a curse for us. Anybody know? 2 Corinthians 5.21, 
there's another passage that specifically says that he made 
him as a curse. Galatians 3.13, when we consider 
who Christ is, again, these statements shouldn't just be relegated to, 
you know, Nicene theology that, you know, praise God we had fathers 
out there that were contending for the faith, and Nicolases 
who were slapping Heretics into submission, actually he didn't 
slap him into submission, he slapped him punitively, But it's 
not just this sort of dry orthodoxy that I think we're oftentimes 
accused of. Oh, you spend all this time on theology, or you 
spend all this time on doctrine. Because it's that which gets 
us through the day. It's that which gets us through 
this life. It's that which feeds our souls. 
sanctify them by thy word, thy word is truth." Not only in terms 
of our holiness and growth and grace and knowledge of our blessed 
Savior, but again, we look at a world around us that is absolutely 
nuts in a whole host of ways. I mean, we've got modern science 
telling us that there's far more than two genders. We've got modern 
science, and by that I don't mean real science, modern science 
telling us that a baby in the womb isn't a baby in the womb. 
We've got modern science denying just about everything concrete 
we ever knew at one point. We need stabilization, we need 
comfort, we need grounding, we need security, and we find that 
in the Bible's presentation of our blessed Savior. In Galatians 
3.10, the apostle says, "...for as many as are of the works of 
the law are under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is 
everyone who does not continue in all things which are written 
in the book of the law to do that." That was the stipulation 
of the Old Covenant. You better do everything that's 
written in this law or you will perish in your sin. But Paul 
goes on in verse 11, but that no one is justified by the law 
in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. 
God knowing, as he gives the command concerning obedience 
to the covenant of works in the Old Testament, they're not going 
to fulfill this. It's always going to be salvation 
by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus. And then he says 
in verse 12, yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does 
them shall live by them. And then Christ has redeemed 
us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. 
For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. 
So there's your theology. There's your blessed statement. 
There's your confession of faith, suitability-ness of the Savior. But then notice its man-word 
application in verse 14. That the blessing of Abraham 
might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might 
receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So it's not just 
this dry theology out there, but it affects you Gentiles in 
the churches of Southern Galatia such that you are now sons and 
daughters of Abraham himself. That's the work of the Savior 
on behalf of his people. It's a most beautiful construction 
that we find here. Moving from suitability to the 
application of his suitability to our wretched condition. And 
we might also observe that Christ's suitabilityness or Christ's suitability 
is such because our sin necessitates that. In other words, we can't 
just have an exemplar. We can't just have a pattern 
or an example come down from heaven and say, I'm going to 
show you how to love God and love man, and just follow me 
in that. Our condition is far more severe 
than that. Our condition is far more grave 
than that. Our condition doesn't simply 
require a bit of good religious instruction so that we can try 
better and do better. No, we need this suitable Savior 
who comes down for us men and for our salvation to save us 
from our sins. If it's any other conception 
or any other way, then we are dead in our trespasses and sins. 
That's the problem with theological liberalism. That's the problem 
at the time of the 20th century, the early part of the 20th century, 
when they said we just need to live the Sermon on the Mount. 
I've got news for you, brethren. There is no one on God's earth 
who has ever been able to live the Sermon on the Mount except 
for Jesus. If you want to see what righteousness 
looks like, look at the 33 years of Jesus' earthly ministry. None 
of us bear up. None of us come close. None of 
us ever will. So the suitability of Christ 
is such that it answers for the absolute necessity of our need. And again, notice what we have. 
He's being made sin and a curse for us, and then enduring most 
grievous sorrows in his soul. Where do we see that in Scripture? Garden of Gethsemane, he had 
soul sorrow, exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. And that helps 
us when we get to say Hebrews 4 or Hebrews 2, when it points 
out the fact of Christ's humanity and divinity in the one person, 
but it tells us that he's able to sympathize with us. Christ 
was truly man. Christ knew what soul sorrow 
was. Christ knew what it was. to lose 
a beloved friend in Lazarus. That's why he's weeping at the 
gravesite of Lazarus. He is able to enter in, as it 
were, in terms of our condition. And it's a most, again, encouraging 
situation for the people of God. So he endures most grievous sorrows 
in his soul and most painful sufferings in his body. I think 
when we went through the passion narrative in Matthew, I mentioned 
that the gospel writers don't develop the passion the way subsequently, 
say, Roman Catholicism did. You go to a Roman Catholic church 
and you have these stations of the cross all over the church. 
I've heard that at least one Protestant denomination has adopted 
that particular practice, and it's horrific. It's vile that 
you would follow papists in that. Aquinas' theology proper, good. His understanding of the Trinity, 
good. His understanding of Christology, good. But the stations of the 
cross, bad. Anyways, they celebrate the physical 
suffering of our Lord Jesus. Not celebrate in the sense of 
hurrah, but they stop at each of those stations, they wave 
a bit of incense, and they engage in their popish foolery. So the gospel writers don't do 
that. They don't amplify the physical 
sufferings. But at the same time, they tell 
us of the physical sufferings. It was suffering unto death. It was grievous, sorrows in his 
soul, and most painful sufferings in his body. And then it says, 
he was crucified, died, and remained in the state of the dead, yet 
saw no corruption. On the third day, he arose from 
the dead with the same body in which he suffered. It's a beautiful 
statement. It harkens back to the hypostatic 
union, the union of the two natures in the one person. When we get 
to heaven, we are going to see the glorified Jesus. Notice, 
with the same body in which he suffered. Remember, post-resurrection. when he appears to Thomas, and 
Thomas says, unless I see, unless I touch, then I will certainly 
not believe. What does Jesus do? He says, 
look. He shows him the pierced hands. He tells him to reach your hand 
and touch my side. So it's the self-same body in 
which he suffered, with which he also ascended into heaven, 
and there sitteth at the right hand of his father, making intercession, 
and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the 
world. So, and again, a very biblically charged paragraph, 
taking statements of scripture, putting them together to convey 
the work of the Savior. He's not only suitable, paragraph 
three, but this is the execution of his work. This is what he 
has accomplished. And notice the emphasis, not 
just on death and resurrection, but life. That's one of the other 
things that we need to appreciate. This whole idea that he was made 
under the law and did perfectly fulfill it. That is as crucial 
for us men and for our salvation as is his death. So when it comes 
to the life of Jesus, it wasn't just exemplary, it wasn't just 
a pattern, oh let's just follow Jesus as he, you know, conducts 
himself. Yeah, we're supposed to follow 
Jesus. I'm not suggesting we're not. 
I'm not suggesting we sin and do what Jesus doesn't do, but 
he does that in light of what we saw in Matthew 3, to fulfill 
all righteousness, so that we can have a 2 Corinthians 5.21 
that Roger brought up earlier. God the Father made him, God 
the Son, who knew no sin. So that, sorry, it just jumped 
out of my head. Ever have that where it just 
pops out? Second Corinthians 521. I don't want to butcher 
that passage because it's crucial. Yes, for he made him who knew 
no sin to be sin for us. Why did he make him to be sin 
for us? Because it was at the end of 
the verse. That's right, because of what it says in the end of 
the verse, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Excellent, great exegesis, absolutely 
crucial. But He made Him who knew no sin 
to be sin for us. Now how does Jesus become sin? Constitution, imputation, right? The idea is that Adam's sin is 
imputed to us, our sin is imputed to Jesus, and then Jesus' righteousness 
is imputed to us. So he's not actually a sinner. He doesn't, you know, have a 
lustful thought when he's on the cross, and that's how he 
becomes sin for us. That's not it at all. He is constituted 
such, so that when the Father punishes the Son, He's punishing 
us in Him. There's that idea of imputation, 
constitution, legality, forensic. That's the emphasis. But He made 
Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that God could indeed 
punish sin. Remember in the Gospel, Paul 
takes pains in Romans 3, before he starts to declare the beauty 
of justification by faith alone, in its man-word reference, we 
like Abraham and like David, according to chapter 4 of Romans, 
are imputed with the righteousness of Jesus. Before he gets to that, 
he wants to vindicate God. He wants to show how the gospel 
does not compromise the justice of God. And it's in that context 
that he sets forth that Christ was a propitiation. Christ was 
set forth as a propitiation to demonstrate God's righteousness. When we think cross, we think 
love, and we should. When we think cross, we think 
grace, and we should. When we think cross, we think 
mercy, and we should. But when we think cross, we need 
to think righteousness, because in the cross, God Almighty sustains, 
vindicates, and manifests His righteousness. There's no compromise. There's no getting away from 
the law. But God Most High in the Gospel is just and the justifier 
of the one who has faith in Jesus. So the Father made Him, the Son 
who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness 
of God in Him. So we need both forgiveness of 
our sins and we need a righteousness so that we can enter into the 
presence of God. That will come out in more detail when we get 
to chapter 11 in the Confession of Faith, but as is often the 
case in the Confession of Faith, we see that systematic presentation. We see a building upon. We see 
doctrines introduced in the beginning of the Confession. We see them 
amplified along the way. We see them hearkened back unto 
when we get further on in the Confession. And this shows us 
that it holds together as a whole. You mess with one part of it, 
you're going to topple the entirety of the Confession. So it's most 
crucial that we understand how it belongs together. So back 
to the Confession, it mentions these things in a most beautiful 
and wonderful and comprehensive way. Now in paragraph five, it 
underscores what one has called the central operation of the 
work of Jesus. In other words, it's going to 
hone in on and identify even more with a pinpoint accuracy, 
not accuracy, but with more of a pinpoint focus what Jesus does. So in paragraph five, the Lord 
Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which 
he through the eternal spirit once offered up unto God, hath 
fully satisfied the justice of God. He hath procured reconciliation, 
and he hath purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of 
heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him." 
So again, paragraph four, comprehensive work concerning what the Savior 
does in terms of his life, death, and resurrection. even up to 
the current session, that's how paragraph 4 ends, the current 
session of Christ. "...he sitteth at the right hand 
of his Father, making intercession, and shall return to judge men 
and angels at the end of the world." We refer to that now, 
this present era, as the session or current session of Jesus. 
He's at the right hand of the Father, he does live to make 
intercession for his people, he functions as our advocate 
with the Father, there he rules and reigns over all things, he 
is the ruler over the kings of the earth, So, all of that is 
true and predicated of the Son. So, in paragraph 5, now, it deals 
specifically with the Godward success of His life. So, the 
Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, it 
says He has fully satisfied the justice of God. He's not just 
suitable for the task, but he's actually accomplished the task. 
See, if Christ was suitable, but Christ doesn't do it, well 
then we're hooped. But if Christ is not suitable 
and tries, then we're hooped. but that Christ is suitable and 
that He executes this function as mediator, shows and demonstrates 
what Scripture everywhere celebrates. That all the promises of God 
are yea and amen in Him. That He is the altogether lovely, 
that He is the chief among ten thousand, that He is the champion 
given by the Father to save His people from their sins. So He's 
fully satisfied the justice of God. Brethren, there is a world 
of blessing in that for the people of God. Jesus cried on the cross, 
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me in such a manner 
that we'll never have to cry that. There will never be that 
expression from you and I on that day of judgment. We're going 
to hear, well done, good and faithful servant. We're going 
to hear, enter into the joy of your rest. We're going to have 
a welcome. We're going to have a come and 
participate. Why? Because Christ is fully satisfied 
the justice of God, because he's procured reconciliation. What 
does reconciliation assume? Each of the words sort of given 
to us in the gospel or in the scripture, when we look at the 
various language that, say, Paul uses, the technical language 
that Paul uses when he's illustrating or interpreting or expounding 
the significance of the life, death, and resurrection of our 
Lord Jesus are each packed with a great deal of encouraging stuff 
for the people of God. Propitiation, for instance, assumes 
God's wrath. It presupposes that God is angry 
with the wicked every day. Psalm 711 tells us that. It presupposes 
that God has, to use human terminology, an axe to grind with rebel sinners. And so propitiation sees that 
idea of the wrath of God. So Christ is set forth as a propitiation. That means that Christ deals 
with the wrath of the Father. And he doesn't deal with it by 
deflecting it, he deals with it by exhausting it. He drinks 
the cup of God's wrath to the final dray. So propitiation is 
a very encouraging word for the people of God to understand. 
Redemption, very encouraging word for the people of God to 
understand. Redemption presupposes slavery, right? Redemption presupposes 
that somebody is in a bad condition and that somebody else comes 
and fetches them out of that bad condition. Perhaps the best 
human illustration of this or sort of non-redemptive but typical 
illustration is the liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage. When I say liberation, I don't 
mean liberation theology, but I mean redemption. So, they are 
slaves in Egypt, and Yahweh, through His powerful arm, redeems 
them. Now, redemption, as Murray points 
out, is not just an expression of power, but redemption always 
assumes a price paid for redemption. You see that in the Old Covenant. 
You see that, obviously, in the New Covenant. The price paid 
for our redemption is what we see in 2 Corinthians 5.21. He 
made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, such that God then 
spent His wrath, propitiation, and then God uses that blood 
of Jesus as the means by which He brings redemption. So back 
to this particular word, He has procured reconciliation. What does reconciliation assume 
or presuppose? repairing. That's right. There's 
enmity between two parties. Two parties are upset with each 
other. Two parties are at odds with each other. What happens 
typically in the human realm when we have issues with one 
another? We try all lawful means to speak with one another to 
help one another to express our particular position. If there 
is a breakdown in that communication process, we seek out what? A 
mediator, somebody who's a third party that will umpire a referee 
to try to bring mediation or reconciliation between the two 
parties. Christ does that on the cross. 
There is enmity between the Father and us. There is enmity between 
us and the Father. So the Bible not only says that 
God is angry with the wicked every day, it says essentially 
that the wicked are angry with God every day. They are mutinous, 
they are rebellious, they are enraged against Him. They will 
not have this one rule over them. And so this idea of procuring 
reconciliation, He brings the two parties back together again. And then it says He purchases 
an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all 
those whom the Father hath given unto Him. You see, it's not only 
the case that he fulfills or satisfies divine justice, it's 
not only that he brings reconciliation, it's not only that there's present 
benefit for the redemptive work of Christ. Like right now, we're 
forgiven of our sins, praise God Almighty. We are covered 
or clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, praise God Almighty. But we have an inheritance secured 
for us We have a place in heaven. Jesus has gone before us to prepare 
that place for us. So when it comes to our salvation, 
we think in terms of justification. We've been forgiven. We've been 
clothed with the righteousness of another. We think of sanctification. We're living the Christian life 
now. We've got our issues. We've got our remaining corruption. 
We've got our challenges. But nevertheless, the mediator 
stationed at the right hand of the Father functions as our advocate 
with the Father. So we oftentimes think in terms 
of the justification of sinners, sanctification of sinners, but 
we need to think of glorification. We have an inheritance laid up 
for us. That ought to help the people of God, again, deal with 
the chaos that we are surrounded by in this present evil world. Now notice the retrospective 
communication of the redemptive benefit of Christ. I think I 
got this from Pastor Barcelos, so that might substantiate why 
you're hearing central operation and retrospective communication. 
He gave me his outline of the confession at one point. I think 
this is from him. But that's what paragraph six 
deals with. Paragraph six tells us that Abel went to heaven because 
of the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It tells us that 
Abraham went to heaven because of Jesus. It tells us that Isaiah 
went to heaven because of Jesus. It tells us Jeremiah went to 
heaven because of Jesus. There's been one way of salvation. 
It is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Now 
the way that we today in the 21st century look back to the 
finished work of Christ at Calvary, old covenant saints looked forward 
to the finished work of the Savior on behalf of sinners. That was 
the purpose for the types and the shadows. That was the purpose 
for the law of sacrifice. That was the purpose for Israel's 
tutelage. It was to teach them that Messiah 
was coming and there would be blood atonement wrought. And 
a person says, well the Old Testament doesn't teach that. It most certainly 
does teach that. And John the Baptist understood 
it to teach that, because when he lays eyes on Jesus in John 
1.29, he says, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin 
of the world. He doesn't have to explain the 
significance of his statement. He doesn't have to say, Well, 
you know, there was this Levitical system, and they had laws concerning 
sacrifices. They had to make sure they were 
cleansed before they went and dwelt in the presence of God. 
And all of that pointed forward to the No, he says it as someone 
familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures that says Messiah 
has come. He has done what God or he has 
come to do what God has purpose. So paragraph 6 deals with the 
retrospective benefit of the work of Jesus Christ. Notice, 
although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ 
till after his incarnation. Yet the virtue, efficacy, and 
benefit thereof were communicated to the elect in all ages successively 
from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, 
and sacrifices wherein he was revealed, and signified to be 
the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's head, and 
the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, being the same 
yesterday, today, and today, and forever." Turn over to Hebrews 
chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, just to see 
this retrospective benefit of the work of the Savior. So basically, 
in paragraph 6, if you followed paragraphs 1 to 5, you might 
be led to consider, well, what about Abel? What about Isaiah? 
What about Jeremiah? What about Ezekiel? What about 
Daniel? What about Solomon? What about David? Well, paragraph 
6 tells you. What Christ does at Calvary is 
communicated to the elect of all ages. Whether in the future, 
I think we're far more in tune with that, but also in the past, 
Old Covenant. Look at Hebrews 10, 1, for the 
law having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very 
image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which 
they offer continually year by year, make those who approach 
perfect. For then would they not have 
ceased to be offered. For the worshipers, once purified, 
would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices 
there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible 
that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. That has 
caused some to reflect, well then, the Levitical legislation 
concerning sacrifices was a waste of time. Absolutely, positively 
not. It functioned in the manner intended 
by God. It was intended to communicate 
grace, It was communicated to indicate blood atonement. It 
was intended to communicate that God and sinners can be reconciled. It is through a bloody knife 
and a smoking altar, but it was existent to point the people 
of Israel to the Messiah to come. It was a means of grace to feed 
their faith week in and week out. It was a means of grace 
to sustain the remnant such that every time they cut the animal's 
throat, they presented it to the priest, and then he went 
and burned some of it and ate the rest of it. All of that fed 
them. It fed them spiritually. It encouraged 
their hearts. It caused them to reflect upon 
and look forward to the one promised in the prophets. So the Apostle 
says it's not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could 
take away sins, but it functioned typologically to point Israel 
to the Savior who does take away sins. Look back in chapter 9. Now, when these things had been 
thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the 
tabernacle. He's talking about the tabernacle that was present 
in the Old Covenant. But into the second part, so 
you've got the holy place, and then you have the most holy place, 
and the holy of holies. Remember, we read Leviticus 16 
two weeks ago, and we saw there that it wasn't the case that 
any old Israelite just sort of wandered in. It was one day out 
of the year on the Day of Atonement, and when the priest went, he 
didn't just wander in. He took off all his regalia, 
he wore a linen tunic, he went into the most holy place with 
specific purpose. to pour out the blood on the 
mercy seat, to atone for his sins, to atone for Israel's sins, 
to atone for the altar itself, because that had contact with 
sin in the place of sacrifice. And so he does that, he goes 
in, he probably goes three or four times, and then he comes 
out. Then they get the scapegoat, he lays his hands upon the scapegoat, 
he confesses the transgressions of Israel, and then that scapegoat 
is driven out into the wilderness. So there's a wonderful picture 
there. of not only propitiation, not only redemption, not only 
reconciliation, but what we also call expiation, the removal of 
guilt, the removal of sin. When that goat is running out 
into the wilderness, it was a beautiful emblem of what we have in the 
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. So back to verse 7. But in the 
second part, the high priest went alone once a year, not without 
blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins, committed 
in ignorance. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way 
into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first 
tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present 
time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which 
cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard 
to the conscience, concerned only with foods and drinks, various 
washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed, notice, until the time 
of Reformation." He's not talking about Calvin and Luther and Zwingli, 
he's talking about Jesus in the New Covenant. The times of Reformation 
is when Christ comes to fulfill all of the obligations placed 
on him in the covenant of redemption. Now notice in verse 11, but Christ 
came as the high priest of the good things to come, with the 
greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, 
not of this creation. So the tabernacle and temple 
typify, picture, symbolize, and provide an emblem of that tabernacle 
or temple or sanctuary that is heaven, wherein God is. And then 
it says, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his 
own blood, he entered the most holy place once for all. Notice 
that contrast. It's a once-for-all sacrifice 
by our Lord Jesus versus the daily sacrifice of the priests 
of Israel and then that yearly sacrifice in terms of the Day 
of Atonement. There's that remembrance of sin 
that the Apostle says in chapter 10, but it didn't atone for it 
the way that Christ does. That's why once-for-all is underscored. We don't need further atonement. 
We don't need an unbloody atonement of the mass. We don't need transubstantiation. We certainly don't need a future 
rebuilt temple wherein animal sacrifice is going to be reintroduced 
for atonement. That goes right against what 
the Apostle is emphasizing in the once-for-all nature of the 
atoning work of our Lord Jesus. Now notice in verse 13, continuing 
verse 12, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood 
of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean 
sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall 
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, we saw that 
in our confession, offered himself without spot to God, cleansed 
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Now 
notice in verse 15, and for this reason he is the mediator of 
the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of 
the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who 
are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. So, 
if you are reading the Confession of Faith, you read what it says 
in paragraphs 1 to 5, and then you take a drink of coffee, and 
you sit back for a moment, and you wonder, what about Abraham? 
What about Isaac? What about Jacob? Paragraph 6 
tells you, it is the retrospective communication of Christ's redemptive 
benefit. In other words, salvation has 
always been for Adam, for Abel and everybody who has come since 
by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord." Well, we'll 
stop there and next time we'll look at the communication of 
idioms in paragraph 7, which we touched on a bit when we were 
in paragraph 2, and then we'll see the application of all of 
this and its benefits with reference to man. So I'll pray and then 
if there's any questions or comments. Our Father in Heaven, we thank 
You again for a beautiful day. We thank You for Your Word. We 
thank You for the Gospel of our salvation and for the Redeemer 
of Your elect. And God bless this church as 
we gather for worship morning and evening. Bless any and all 
who come in among us that are still dead in their trespasses 
and sins. We pray that You would awaken them, that they would 
hear the voice of the Son of God and they would pass from 
death unto life. And we ask this in Jesus' name. 
Amen. Well, any questions or comments? Well, yeah, I think when you 
look at the life and ministry of Christ, it was a covenant 
of works. It has been well said. The covenant 
of grace for us is the covenant of works having been kept for 
us by Jesus Christ. Yeah, so when, and I think that's 
how you would understand all the passages that speak of, you 
know, say Ephesians one, for instance, and Philippians chapter 
two, God has, you know, exalted him and given him a name, which 
is above every name. That's with reference to him 
as mediator, as the champion of our salvation. And so it's 
by virtue of that work, he has secured or purchased for us this 
everlasting inheritance. Yeah, it's the rewards. for his 
having satisfied all of the requirements placed on him by God the Father. 
Rebecca. Oh yeah, Simeon's a good example 
when he's rocking the babe Christ in his arms and he says, today 
mine eyes have seen your salvation. That's right, he's an old covenant 
saint who benefits retrospectively from the application of Christ's 
redemptive benefit. Yes. Right. I think it's more, 
yeah, the judgment at the final day is going to be the vindication 
of God Most High. It's going to be the demonstration 
of his judgment and that sort of 
thing. Yeah, I don't think the emphasis is on maybe they'll 
make it. No, the fallen angels are consigned 
to hell forever. The elect angels are consigned 
to heaven. Same with the human saints, right? Well, the reason why, as far 
as I can tell, that the angels are going to be cast into hell 
is for their evil, their evil works, right? They followed or 
sided with the devil in rebellion against God Most High. So yeah, 
it's more of a vindication of God and a manifestation of God's 
just judgment. And again, with reference to 
people, we're going to see that in the passage in John 5. Jesus 
uses judgment in two ways in the text. When he talks about 
sinners being saved, they do not pass into judgment. Well, 
there, I think, obviously, it means judgment unto condemnation. But the believer in 528 and 529 
is going to stand judgment before God Almighty. And again, I think 
it's going to be to vindicate the glory of God. It's going 
to be to demonstrate the majesty and beauty of Jesus Christ. And 
it's going to be to, as well, display the good works that believers 
have done. It's because they had believed 
on the Lord Jesus Christ. So the logistics of the last 
day are tough. I know that there is one, and 
I know that there are purposes given in the scripture, but the 
ins and outs and the nuts and bolts are a bit difficult in 
terms of what specifically. But yeah, I think it's not, when 
we think of judgment, you know, in our modern situation, we've 
got a judge, they present the information. And there's emphasis 
like that. Revelation 20, books are open, 
and the things that were done are read out. But it's not like 
on that day, the just judge is waiting to make a verdict. We 
saw that in Matthew 25 a couple of weeks ago. There are already 
sheep and goats when they get before him. They're not constituted 
sheep or goats in that. They're already that. And so 
it's more vindicatory or more of a manifestation or demonstration 
of God's justice and God's grace. Alright. And as man is as well. 
Yeah, for sure. Right, then there is that final 
disposition rendered and then the elect have security in heaven 
and the ungodly end up in hell. Great. Oh, one last question. in Genesis, for instance, that 
death actually after sin was a good thing, right? Because 
otherwise they wouldn't be able to die and be made a creation. And I think there's also that 
verse that says to guard the tree of life because they eat 
it and they live forever. But with regard to the angels, 
they do live forever. They're spirits, right? So they 
don't have that chance to be kind of recreated. So I think 
there's also some kind of distinction in their essence and what they 
are. Yeah, the only thing I would carefully word is that first 
part. I wouldn't say that the wages of sin or death is a good 
thing. Paul treats it as a bad thing 
in Romans 6. But I get what you're saying. 
They're driven out of the garden so that they don't have access 
to the tree of life. Because if they have access to 
the tree of life, then they're confirmed in that state of rebellion 
and wickedness. And I think that's exactly right. 
So yeah, they're driven from the garden such that they don't 
take that tree of life and confirm themselves in that position. 
And whereas, alternatively, angels are confirmed. For the fallen 
angels, there's no hope of redemption. For the fallen angels, there's 
no savior, no mediator. He does not take on angels, but 
he takes on the seed of Abraham, according to Hebrews chapter 
2. All right. Well, it's looked at punitively 
by Paul in Romans 6. It's looked at as an enemy by 
Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. I get what you're saying, 
that it was in the design of God to keep man from being confirmed 
in that state of rebellion and transgression. I think Mormons 
have a view, though, that it was actually beneficial that 
Adam and Eve ate the fruit. So I would want to make sure 
that I would stay away from anything like that and to always treat 
death as the Bible treats it. It's not a positive. But I do, 
again, get what you're saying. We're not confirmed in that rebellion 
against God the way that the angels are. All right.