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But I do want to read the whole 
section, beginning in chapter 8 at 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 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 holy, 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 adverseness 
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, certainly apart from 
Scripture, one would do well to have this particular chapter 
in their minds and hearts with reference to the doctrine of 
Christology. It's a very succinct and a very 
compact presentation of the Christology representative of the best of 
the church throughout the ages. We saw last time in their discussion 
in chapter 8, paragraphs 1 and 2, how the backdrop was the early 
creeds and councils of the church. They didn't just develop these 
things anew in 1677 or 1689. The actual release date for this 
confession was 1677, though we often identify it as the 1689. It's the same confession. Just after 1689, the Act of Toleration 
was passed. They had a little bit more liberty 
to make known their particular beliefs in a formal confession. 
But this wasn't the development of the doctrine. This pulled 
from, as I said, the creeds and counsels of the church. and represents 
herein what the church has understood concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. 
I mentioned last time, or I quoted from Hermann Baving, he said, 
the doctrine of Christ is not the starting point, but it certainly 
is the central point of the whole system of dogmatics. All other 
dogmas either prepare for it or are inferred from it. In it, 
as the heart of dogmatics, pulses the whole of the religious ethical 
life of Christianity. It is the mystery of godliness. 
In other words, it's a most important subject. It's not something we 
can afford to be wrong on. In fact, turn to your Bibles 
in John's Gospel, specifically in John chapter 8. I think this 
passage underscores, among many other passages, just how essential 
it is that we think correctly or rightly concerning our Lord 
Jesus Christ. I mentioned that we can be wrong 
on or disagree on or be different from others with reference to 
the doctrine of the last things, but if we're wrong on the person 
and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's damnable heresy 
from whence you can't recover without repentance and faith 
in the true God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But notice Christ 
in John 8, 21. Jesus said to them again, I am 
going away and you will seek me and will die in your sin. 
Where I go, you cannot come. So the Jews said, will he kill 
himself? Because he says, where I go, 
you cannot come. And he said to them, you are 
from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not 
of this world. Therefore, I said to you that 
you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I 
am, you will die in your sins. You see, Christ makes it very 
clear that our acceptance with God turns on this particular 
hinge, what think we of Christ. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 
15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, another passage that underscores 
the centrality of Christ and His gospel. In 1 Corinthians 
chapter 15, if anyone ever asks you what is the gospel, you would 
do well to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Notice what Paul 
writes in verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I declare 
to you the gospel which I preach to you, which also you received 
and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold 
fast that word which I preach to you, unless you believed in 
vain. For I delivered to you, first 
of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins 
according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that 
He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He 
was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve, After that, he was seen 
by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained 
to the present, but some have fallen asleep." So you see, the 
message of the gospel isn't some warm, fuzzy thing that happens 
to us. It's a historic message. It's 
rooted in history. You can go to the map and you 
can find Bethlehem. You can find Jerusalem, you can 
pinpoint where Golgotha was. It is not an ethereal thought 
or some sort of mystical sway that comes over a man or a woman. 
It's a historic message. It's a necessary message. Paul 
says, "...by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that 
word which I preached to you." So what's the implication? You're 
not saved if you don't hold fast that word which was preached 
by him. As well, it's received by faith. We're not justified by works, 
we're justified by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 
And Paul highlights that there. If you hold fast that word which 
I... I'm sorry, in which also you received and in which you 
stand, in which also you are saved, if you hold fast that 
word. It's by faith. And then, specifically, 
we see that it's Christ-centered. Christ died for our sins according 
to the Scriptures, Christ was buried, Christ rose again the 
third day, and that all according to the Scriptures. So it's a 
most important doctrine, and I suggest that Chapter 8 in our 
Confession sets forth great parameters. It's a great sort of guideline 
for us in our study of Christology. So as we saw last time, we noticed 
in paragraph 1, the pre-temporal appointment of the mediator. 
In other words, what happens in the incarnation was foreordained 
by God. It's based on that covenant made 
between them both. What is called previously that 
eternal covenant transaction which we refer to as the covenant 
of redemption. The father chose to save a great 
multitude. The son chose to be the surety, 
to be the mediator, to be the savior. So the son responds to 
that and comes into this world in the fullness of the time, 
born of a woman, born under the law, to execute that role of 
mediator. So, it was pre-temporal in terms 
of the appointment. The second paragraph, paragraphs 
2 to 8, deal with the historical stages of the mediator. In other 
words, how does the Bible present the Lord Jesus Christ? How do 
we appreciate the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to His 
person and work? So, paragraphs 2 to 8 take that 
up. Last time we looked at paragraph 2, His incarnation. dealt with 
some things concerning Christ more specifically in his person. Remember, he's one person, two 
natures, we refer to that as the hypostatic union. And what 
it says toward the end of paragraph two, 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. In a very succinct way, reflecting 
the creed at Chalcedon, they set up parameters concerning 
the truth of Jesus Christ. If you depart from this in any 
way, shape, or form, you've departed from what the Scripture teaches 
concerning our Lord. He's not two persons. He's not 
a third thing. He's not some sort of a conglomerate, 
a part of deity, a part of humanity, thrown into one wonderful mix. 
know what it says there is absolutely crucial. 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. So that sets the stage for paragraphs 
3 to 8. We notice in paragraph 3 his 
anointing. His anointing for office, or 
a description of His suitability. In other words, we see this pre-temporal 
appointment in paragraph 1. We see the uniqueness concerning 
just who Jesus Christ is in paragraph 2, in terms of the divine and 
the human, in humanity and the one person. And now it describes 
His suitability for us as the Redeemer. And this is just wonderful. It's packed with scriptural language. 
I hope that as I read, you go, oh yeah, that sounds like Hebrews, 
or oh yeah, that sounds like John, or oh yeah, that sounds 
like Colossians. Precisely, that's what they're 
doing. Sometimes people say we believe 
the confession insofar as it is biblical. No, we believe the 
confession because it is biblical, because it sets forth the truth 
of scripture. Now, it's not on the same level 
as Scripture in terms of infallibility, but it's certainly a wonderful 
presentation of biblical truth. So you see that subtle but very 
real distinction. We believe the confession insofar 
as it is biblical. No, we believe it because it 
is biblical. It accurately highlights and 
reflects the truth of Scripture. And as we read through this, 
again, I can't help but suggest to you that you're hearing Scripture 
put together in a neat, tidy package to set forth the doctrine 
concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. So paragraph 3 indicates his 
suitability for office or his fittedness for his service as 
mediator. In fact, I think the idea comes 
from Hebrews 7. Remember a few weeks ago or last 
time at our Lord's Supper, we looked at Hebrews chapter 7. 
And after highlighting that Christ is able to save to the uttermost 
in 725, those who come to God through him, since he always 
lives to make intercession for them, and then in verse 26 it 
says, for such a high priest was fitting for us. So the confession 
is not telling us anything other than what Scripture does. It 
indicates for us that Christ is sufficient. I think there's 
a great practical benefit here for all of us. We, as those who, 
by God's grace, have believed in Christ, can rest in the fact 
and trust in the reality that He is perfectly fitted for our 
needs. We need justification. We need acceptance with God. 
The Lord Jesus Christ answers to that, doesn't He? It's based 
on His life of obedience, His death at the cross, that we have 
acceptance with our Father. We think of glorification. How 
is it going to be the case that any of us are ever going to enter 
into the presence of the Holy God? Because of Christ, because 
of what's outlined later in this particular chapter. But it's 
also good with reference to sanctification. I think it's easy for us to see 
the beauty and the benefits of Jesus in justification and see 
the beauty and the benefits of Jesus in the doctrine of glorification 
and forget the present fittedness and suitability of our Savior 
for the here and now as we battle against sin, as we seek to grow 
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember 
those particular passages in Hebrews 2. He's able to sympathize 
with us because He was in all points tempted like us and yet 
without sin. What does that mean? He's able 
to aid us. He's able to give us assistance. 
He is our sympathetic Savior, our omnipotent High Priest that 
is passed into the heavens for us. and we are able to obtain 
help in our time of need according to Hebrews 4. So we need to appreciate 
the suitability and the fittedness of Christ and never make the 
mistake of, wow, you know, Jesus saved me at the beginning and 
I trust He's going to bring me into glory in the future, but 
boy, I'm not getting any help right now. I think that's an 
expression some of us, if not at least verbally or orally, 
actually make in our hearts. I have nobody to help me. I have 
nobody that knows what I'm going through. You're not reading Scripture 
that. You don't understand the fittedness and the suitability 
of our Savior, not only for your entrance into the faith and not 
only for the end of the faith, but in the present with reference 
to the faith. Notice, Christ, the object, paragraph 
3, again, just summarizing what has gone before in paragraph 
2, the Lord Jesus in his human nature, thus united to the divine. You see, they settle that truth 
in paragraph 2, and now they proceed to tell us this is the 
selfsame one. This one who is one person, two 
natures, is the one who has come into this world to be our Savior. In the person of the Son was 
sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure." 
It's language from John's Gospel. He receives the Holy Spirit without 
measure. In other words, he is suited 
by the power of the Holy Spirit, having in him all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge. If we weren't live feeding today 
or taping, I'd just stop and say, where does that come from? 
I hope you'd say from Colossians, again, this isn't just made up 
stuff. It is taking the scripture, theologizing 
with it, and presenting the fruit of it. In whom it pleased the 
Father that all fullness should dwell. Again, Colossians, to 
the end that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace 
and truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office 
of a mediator and surety. Precisely what we need. You see, 
God is a holy God, right? We would all agree with that. 
What do the angels say in Isaiah 6? Holy, holy, holy is the Lord 
God of hosts. The whole earth is filled with 
His glory. One wonders if today those angels 
or the church has this idea that, you know, God is just whatever 
it is that they want to speak of. But the Scripture says He's 
holy. And the Scripture that says He's holy says we're not 
holy. And so we need a mediator, we 
need a go-between, we need an arbitrator, we need somebody 
to take both parties by the hand and bring reconciliation, and 
that is precisely what he does. "...which office he took not 
upon himself, but was thereunto called by his father." Again, 
reflective of much of what we see in Hebrews. It wasn't the 
case that Christ instituted Himself, or that Christ ordained Himself, 
or that Christ appointed Himself, but it was founded upon that 
eternal covenant, and it was according to the will of the 
Father that our Lord Jesus Christ would come and do what it is 
He's supposed to do, who also put all power and judgment in 
His hand and gave Him commandment to execute the same. So that's 
His anointing, his suitability, or his fittedness for the office 
of mediator. Now notice the work of Christ. 
This is very typical. We've seen this in our Saturday 
morning studies in Burkhoff's Systematic Theology. In a presentation 
of the doctrine of Christ, it's typically the person of Christ, 
who he is, and then the work of Christ, what he does. That's 
a good process, or a good procedure, or a good trajectory to understand 
or follow, who he is and what he does. And that's precisely 
what we find here. The Confessions identified who 
he is, paragraphs 1 and 2. It identifies his suitability 
in paragraph 3. And now it's going to identify 
or highlight what he does specifically in paragraphs 4 to 8. Notice 
the historical description in paragraph 4 of his work. This office the Lord Jesus did 
most willingly undertake. You see, he not, back to the 
last one, it says, he did not take it upon himself, but don't 
ever believe he was reluctant. Don't ever believe that he was 
hesitant. Don't ever believe that he wasn't willing to do. 
No, he wasn't, he didn't take this upon himself. He's ordained 
by this, ordained to this by the Father that this office the 
Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake. That's a beautiful 
thing. Again, the Savior doesn't come 
grudgingly or unhappily or miserably or hesitantly. No, He gladly 
lays His life down for the glory of the Father and for the good 
of His people. And we need to appreciate the 
willingness of our Savior. Again, I think this speaks to 
us in our Christian lives. If our Savior was willing to 
do what He did on our behalf, Certainly, we ought to try and 
be willing to do those things that He calls us to do, right? If He voluntarily lays down His 
life for the sheep, then the sheep ought to seek, by the grace 
of God, to lay down their life for the shepherd if called upon. 
Right? What does Jesus say concerning 
true discipleship? If anyone comes after me, let 
him take up his cross daily and follow me. Now that doesn't mean, 
you know, get a Bible with a cross on it, or get a gold chain with 
a cross on it. I'm not necessarily saying all 
that stuff is evil or wicked, but in Jesus' context, when Jesus 
says, take up your cross daily and follow me, the cross meant 
one thing, and it wasn't decoration. It wasn't art. It was execution 
in the most horrendous way known. Rome didn't execute, by crucifixion, 
their own citizens without special authorization for the emperor, 
because it was too barbaric, it was too inhumane. Can you 
imagine that? A body politic has a means of 
executing criminals, but that body politic says, it's not going 
to happen to our own citizens. They have more dignity than that, 
unless they were specifically notorious. And as I said, the 
emperor said, OK. So when Jesus says, take up your 
cross and follow me, that didn't mean go buy art. It didn't mean, 
you know, get a T-shirt with a cross on it. It meant be willing 
to die for me. That's discipleship, and I think 
at times we lose sight of that. We think discipleship is, you 
know, just not going here and not doing that. It ought to be 
a willingness to die for the Lord Jesus Christ. It ought to 
be a willingness to take up that cross daily and follow Him. And then when we reflect upon 
statements like this in our confession, which reflect what Scripture 
says, Jesus says, nobody takes my life, I lay it down willingly. And when we reflect upon the 
fact that He willingly laid down His life for us, And we're not 
going to get out of bed early to read Scripture, and I don't 
want to guilt-manipulate anybody. Go home, set your alarm for four, 
and, you know, get out of bed and curse the day Butler was 
born. I'd like to serve my Lord in a different... No, I'm not 
trying to do that. But, you know, at the very basic level of Christian, 
not even duty... At some point we need to get 
beyond even referring to reading scripture and prayers as duty. That's just breath. When the 
baby's born, I don't know if they do this anymore, they take 
the baby out and whack it on the rear end so it starts to 
cry. That's not a duty, that's what 
babies do, right? What do Christians do? They commune 
with their Lord in His Word and in prayer. You know, duty, I 
would suggest, is, you know, go figure out how you can better 
serve in a particular ministry or do whatever. But basic Christian 
breath is reading Scripture and praying. And if our Lord willingly 
laid down His life for the sheep, We're not going to willingly 
spend time in Scripture and in prayer. Notice I'm not saying 
spend an hour. I don't care how long you spend. 
I don't care how many passages or chapters you read. But brethren, 
the response of God's people is to love the Lord their God 
with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. And that at least 
means they spent time with Him in the Word and in prayer. So 
our Lord undertook this willingly, voluntary assumption of His work, 
covenant of redemption sort of stuff. And again, for the salvation 
of the elect, but we need to realize the greater or the grander 
purpose. Our Lord Jesus is on a mission 
from His Father. My meat is to do the will of 
Him who sent me. I think in discussions concerning 
salvation or soteriology, we see Christ's salvation of His 
people as the end. No, Christ's glorifying His Father, 
Christ's exaltation of His Father, that all-in-allness of His Father 
that 1 Corinthians 15 indicates. In the economy of redemption, 
the Lord Jesus willingly undertakes to submit to His Father for the 
purposes of salvation of the elect, for the glory and the 
praise and the honor of the Father. We need to maintain a Godward 
orientation in all of theology. Certainly we are benefactors, 
certainly the corollary is our blessing, our eternal life, but 
we must never forget the Godward orientation of Jesus' work. Notice, he perfectly fulfills. It says, 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. There's 
a world of benefit there as well. There's not a perfect fulfillment 
in our lives, is there? There will never be a perfect 
fulfillment in our lives. The two, or the summary statements 
encompassing the entirety of God's law indicate our guiltiness. This is the Heidelberg Catechism. 
How do you know your sin and misery? By the law of God. Specifically, you shall love 
the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and 
you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Doesn't that indict 
us all? Is there anybody who can say, well, you know, that's 
me. I'm good. I've achieved. I've arrived. 
I've done that. I don't think any of us do that 
for a second, let alone any other sort of measurable time that 
could be anything but any way sort of appealing to God or men. We don't do it for a second, 
but Christ did it always. He did perfectly fulfill it. 
He underwent the punishment due to us, which we should have borne 
and suffered. substitutionary atonement. He 
took our place. Christ not only obeyed the Father 
in our place, but He suffered the wrath of the Father in our 
place. We're going to start Matthew 
26 this morning. If Matthew's gospel is a temple, 
Matthew 26 is the threshold into the Holy of Holies. I mean, it's 
incredible what we find in 26 and 27 concerning this Son of 
Man, this Son of God. He is absolutely, positively 
the suitable, perfect, fitted Savior for us. He 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. Remember that scene in the Garden 
of Gethsemane. What is Jesus' attitude as He 
approaches the cross? Is it just, well, you know, I 
know how this is all going to work out, and it's just going 
to be a braise. No, He sweats drops of blood in the Garden 
of Gethsemane. He prays, according to His humanity to His Father, 
if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will, 
But not my will, but yours be done, Father." There's a resolution, 
a resolvidness to do what the Father calls upon Him. He endures 
most grievous sorrows in His soul. And we see the physical 
suffering on the cross, but we neglect Calvary. My soul is exceedingly 
sorrowful, He says, even unto death. We all know what sort 
of anxiety is or depression or panic attacks or, you know, whatever 
we are calling them today in the 21st century. Imagine if 
you were going to face the wrath and fury of God Almighty and 
you knew it. And not only God Almighty, but 
your own disciples are going to flee from you. Your enemies 
are going to cry out for your blood. They're going to say, 
away with him, away with him, crucify him. I mean, we may have 
a particularly difficult day at work tomorrow, and we are 
exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Look at what the Son of 
Man went through on our behalf, enduring most grievous sorrows 
in His soul and most painful sufferings in His body. We ought 
never to forget the true humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He 
suffered physically. He suffered when the crown was 
placed on his head. He suffered when he was nailed 
to the cross. He suffered when he was hanging 
there on the cross. I mean, these are legitimate 
true sufferings. It wasn't just an appearance. 
It wasn't just a moral sort of a story to try and influence 
us to become martyrs. No, Christ suffered for us. This was the penalty of God's 
law. Notice, was crucified and died 
and remained in the state of the dead, yet saw no corruption. So essentially what is being 
highlighted here is what is called the states of Christ. We studied 
this in Birkhoff yesterday, the states of Christ, the state of 
humiliation and the state of exaltation. Now some say there 
was a state of pre-incarnate glory. The way that Birkhoff 
defines it is that the state is seen relative to Christ's 
position before the law. So, Birkhoff tends to favor the 
two, state of humiliation, state of exaltation, and accepting 
that definition, that Christ, according to the law, it's the 
state of humiliation where he is subject to it. He was born 
of a woman, born under the law. Why was he born under the law? 
So that he might keep that law for us lawbreakers, you see? It was not only substitution 
at Calvary, but it's substitution every step of the way. He keeps 
the law for his people. So the state of humiliation indicates 
or highlights his punishment due to us, the sorrows in his 
soul and the painful sufferings in his body, crucifixion unto 
death, and then the burial. Notice, he was crucified and 
died and remained in the state of the dead, yet saw no corruption. 
And now we move to the state of exaltation. On the third day, 
he arose from the dead. You see, he didn't stay in that 
state of humiliation. We defined humiliation yesterday. 
You know, somebody might say, well, you got a big nose and 
that humiliates us, right? that humbles us or makes us feel 
bad. When we speak about the state 
of humiliation with reference to Christ, it means those particulars, 
his birth, his life, his death, his burial, those things wherein 
he is subject to the law, those things wherein he identifies 
peculiarly with us according to our according to his humanity. And then the state of exaltation 
highlights that very thing. 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 an intercession. So resurrection, 
ascension, current session, and return to glory to judge the 
men and angels. Those are things peculiar to 
or relative to the state of exaltation. So you see he is perfectly suited, 
he is perfectly fitted, he is perfectly the one for us. Now notice in paragraph 5 we 
see the central operation, the central operation concerning 
his life or we might say the God word success of his life, 
notice. 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. So in paragraph four, We have 
this, again, sort of overview concerning his suitability, his 
fittedness, and particularly how that suitability or fittedness 
is seen. And then it sort of hones in 
here, and it tells us very specifically, by his perfect obedience and 
sacrifice of himself. We call that the active obedience 
and the passive obedience of our Lord Jesus. Go over to paragraph, 
or sorry, chapter 11, paragraph 1. Chapter 11, paragraph 1, those 
whom God affectionately calleth, he also freely justifieth. not 
by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their 
sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous, not 
for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ's 
sake alone, not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, 
or any other evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness, 
but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law 
and passive obedience in his death for their whole and soul 
righteousness." I take a certain bit of pleasure to know that 
the Baptists put that in. The Westminster does not have 
active and passive obedience. I don't think that means the 
Westminster divines denied it, but they didn't put it in. It 
doesn't have confessional status as it does for us, you know, 
pathetic Baptists. us Baptist slobs, us, you know, 
ne'er-do-wells. But it's a beautiful statement, 
but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law 
and passive obedience in His death for their whole and soul 
righteousness. So when you get to chapter 11, 
paragraph 1, You already expect this sort of thing because chapter 
8, paragraph 5 has explained to you the central operation. In other words, the nuts and 
the bolts of the work of Christ on behalf of his people. 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. I've told you before that we 
often talk about atonement, substitutionary atonement, and it's a great word, 
atonement, and we ought to use that word. We ought to understand 
its biblical definition and its, you know, biblical application 
through the life and the death of Jesus Christ. But one of the 
sort of older terms that was used is satisfaction. In fact, 
atonement has that idea. He satisfied divine justice. He has hushed Mount Sinai's flame. He has quenched Mount Sinai's 
flame. This is precisely what Christ 
has done. He hath fully satisfied the justice 
of God. In so doing, he procured reconciliation. He purchased an everlasting inheritance 
in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath 
given unto Him. You see, they confessed particular 
redemption or definite atonement. It wasn't for every man willy-nilly 
if he should choose to accept it. No, Christ purchased this. 
Christ procured this. Christ bought this for all those 
whom the Father hath given unto Him. This is a blessed reality. Christ's work was definite. Christ's work was particular. Christ's work was focused upon 
all those whom the Father had given Him. We ought never to 
shy away from what Scripture teaches. It's almost like we 
don't want to make people feel bad by sounding like we're hyper-exclusive, 
or sounding like we're prejudiced, or sounding like we're bigots. 
We're sounding like the Bible and we ought not to fear what 
men may think. Perhaps it is the case that somebody's 
going to hear of this doctrine and God will use it to humble 
them and cause them to seek this one in whom alone there is salvation. Now notice the retrospective 
communication of the work of Christ in paragraph 6. We all 
know what prospective means. It means to look forward. We 
should know what retrospection means. That means to look backward. I fear that we all know what 
introspection means too much because we look inward, right? 
Introspection is navel-gazing. It's always me. It fits well 
with this narcissistic age. I mean, we have a public forum 
to introspect or at least demonstrate our introspection. several public 
forums. We've got Facebook, Twitter, 
and Instagram, and they can all be linked so that you can show 
and demonstrate to everybody your introspection all at once 
so that they get their notifications and can check on each of those 
platforms. We all look at ourselves way too much. This paragraph 
tells us we need to understand the retrospective communication 
of Christ's redemptive work. In other words, we're not dispensationalists. If I could just read between 
the lines and bring chapter 8, paragraph 6 into the common sort 
of theological debate, we are not dispensationalists. Dispensationalism, 
at least the older forms, I don't think John MacArthur or some 
of these other dispensationalists today would teach this, but originally 
dispensationalism taught different ways of salvation. depending 
on what dispensation you lived in, right? I mean, that's terrible! Scripture doesn't teach that. 
That that managed to survive for, what, a hundred years? It 
went checked by good, reformed people, but that some persons 
actually believe there's a different way to salvation? then through 
Jesus Christ is a wretched effect of a dispensational carving up 
of scripture and a failure to see the covenantal unity of the 
whole. Notice in paragraph 6, 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 successfully 
from the beginning of the world. In other words, Abraham entered 
into heaven based on Christ's active and passive obedience. 
Abel entered into heaven based on Christ's active and passive 
obedience. Any saint that has ever entered 
in has only ever entered in because of the doing and the dying and 
the rising of the Lord Jesus. So on the cross there is retrospective 
benefit. It not only shines forth to those 
of us, say, in the 21st century who believe the gospel, but it 
shines backwards to those who in the 8th century B.C. who believe the gospel. You see, 
there's one way of salvation, and it is intriguing. People 
say, well, how in the world could that have been applied to things 
in the past? The same way it can be applied 
to things in the future. because it's the same Christ 
to whom faith holds upon. It is by grace alone, through 
faith alone in Christ alone that any man, woman, boy or girl has 
ever entered or will ever enter into heaven. That's the point 
here. So the virtue, efficacy, and 
benefit thereof were communicated to the elect in all ages successfully 
from the beginning of the world in and by those promises, types, 
and sacrifices wherein he was revealed. You see, the faithful, 
when he got up on the Sabbath and he took a bull or a goat 
from his flock and he went down to the tabernacle and he cut 
its throat and he presented it to the priest who would dice 
it up and present a burnt offering unto the Lord, That was looking 
to Christ. That was Old Covenant worship 
that was rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot miss that reality. What's Paul say to Timothy with 
reference to the Holy Scriptures? You have known these writings 
from childhood. And these writings are able to 
make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Now, when Paul says that in 2 
Timothy 3.15, it is the Old Testament writings that he has in mind. 
What does Jesus say to his contemporaries? You search the scriptures. You 
search the scriptures, for in these you think you have eternal 
life, but these are they which testify of me. See, we need to 
understand that the Bible is not dispensational. The Bible 
is covenantal. There's one way of salvation. It's by grace through faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you were Abraham looking 
forward or you're us looking back to that particular event 
on Calvary, it's the same benefit, the same virtue, the same efficacy. It accrues not because we kept 
the law, but by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself. So, 
these 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. Notice 
in Hebrews 9, there's another evidence or another confirmation 
of this reality, the retrospective benefit of our Lord Jesus. Look 
at Hebrews 9.11. But Christ came as 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, 
not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood. He entered the most holy place 
once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Isn't that 
beautiful? Having obtained eternal redemption, 
can we lose our salvation? Can we lose something that Christ 
had obtained? Can it be plucked out of the 
Savior's hand? Absolutely not. Verse 13, 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 
offered himself without spot to God, a cleanser conscience 
from dead works to serve the living God. 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 it's not the case that there was a different way of salvation 
in the old covenant. It's the same way, it's just 
typically represented, signified, shadowed by the blood of bulls, 
by the blood of goats, by the sprinkling of these ashes of 
a heifer. It all pointed forward to the 
same Lord Jesus Christ promised in Genesis 3.15, the skull-crushing 
seed of the woman who would indeed deliver His people from their 
sins. Now notice the interpersonal communion of the natures of our 
Lord Jesus. And that almost sounds a bit 
odd, like the natures are communing with one another and talking 
to each other. But paragraph six, or seven rather, goes on 
to give a bit of a clarification to avoid any confusion concerning 
our Lord Jesus. We have one person, two natures. How does this work? We see that 
it not only does work, in that He's suitable, in that He's fitted 
for us, in that He actually does accomplish redemption, but when 
we're reading our Bibles and we see specific things said concerning 
our Lord Jesus, how are we to understand that? How are we to 
understand Acts 20, 28, where the Apostle Paul says, shepherd 
the church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood? 
I mean, does God have blood? We learned in theology proper 
that God doesn't have a body like man. God doesn't have blood. He doesn't have a circulatory 
system. He doesn't have a heartbeat. He doesn't have veins and arteries. How could God shed His blood? 
Or when we see something that Jesus does in His manhood, like 
forgive sins of that paralytic in Matthew 9, how do we understand 
this? Does Jesus wake up on Tuesday 
and be God? Does He wake up on Thursday and 
be man? Does he have a day timer? If 
he had an iPhone, would he put in, you know, Monday, show up 
as God, and on Tuesday, go ahead and be man? How does it work? 
Is there a toggle switch in Jesus' mind? Does he just sort of flip 
back and forth and, you know, this requires, you know, God 
and this requires man? Is he Clark Kent looking for 
a phone booth so that he can appear as Superman? Is this how 
it works? Well, you see, theologians throughout 
the history of the church have grappled with such things. They 
have wrestled with such things, and we ought to praise God they 
have, because they have provided for us some very good explanations 
that I don't think, unhelped, we might have stumbled upon. And so paragraph 7 sort of treats 
that particular subject. Notice, Christ and the work of 
mediation. acts according to both natures. Remember, he's one person, two 
natures. In the work of mediation, that 
is, as the mediator of the new covenant, as the one whom God 
the Father sent to save us from our sin, in that work of mediation, 
he acts according to both natures. by each nature doing that which 
is proper to itself. So the divine nature does what's 
proper to divinity. The human nature does what's 
proper to humanity, right? Jesus ate broiled fish and honeycomb, 
if you have the New King James or the King James. If you have 
a modern translation, he only ate broiled fish, didn't have 
a sweet tooth in the modern editions, but older versions don't say 
there's anything wrong with a sweet tooth. Our Lord Jesus ate honeycomb. 
But he did things according to both natures. By each nature 
doing that which is proper to itself. Now notice what it goes 
on to say, 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. Because he's one person. Because 
he is one person, you can say the church of God which he purchased 
with his own blood. We know God doesn't bleed. We 
know he doesn't have a circulatory system. We know there's no veins 
or arteries. But because Jesus is these two 
natures, human and divine, whatever we can say of God, we can say 
of the person of Christ. Whatever we say of man, we can 
say of the person of Christ. Yet we need to understand. that 
God or that Jesus isn't a deified human or a humanized divinity. 
He is one person, two natures. He acteth according to both natures, 
but sometimes in Scripture vis-a-vis Acts 20, 28, John 3, 13 as well. You can turn there. I don't think 
this is in the modern versions or at least it's been relegated 
to the margins. But in John 3, 13, Jesus says, 
no one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, 
that is the Son of Man. Who is in heaven? Now, how does 
he say that? Well, it's based on this doctrine. 
It's called the communication of idioms or the communication 
of properties. That which is true of manhood 
or deity can be said of the one person. We just can't say what's 
true of deity is true of humanity or what's true of humanity is 
true of deity. Now, I think we've explained 
this, you know, try it at length in our Saturday morning sessions. 
If you're still a little bit perplexed by this, you can talk 
to Kim after the confession study this morning. But notice, and 
then we have the effectual application of this work in paragraph 8. 
I do want to try and finish up this overview. In paragraph 8, 
to all those, OK, we've seen his suitability, his anointing 
to office, paragraph 3, his suitability for office, his fittedness for 
office, A description of the work that he undertakes, now 
notice how that is applicable to his people in paragraph eight, 
to all those for whom Christ hath obtained eternal redemption. He doth certainly and effectually 
apply and communicate the same. Isn't that beautiful? He not 
only has done the work, but he effectually applies and communicates 
the same. I mean, it would be the case 
that, you know, you come home and your mom said, I baked this 
wonderful pie, but you can't have any. We've got this beautiful 
Savior who's done all this stuff, but you can't have any. Paragraph 
8 tells us He not only does the work, but He effectually applies 
and communicates the work, 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 then we need to always be 
reminded of this, and all of free and absolute grace, without 
any condition foreseen in them to procure it." So Christ doesn't 
say, well, I'm going to look for a batch of particularly lovely 
humans, and I'm going to effectually apply this to them. No, it's 
not based on any foreseen condition in them to procure it. based 
on the fact that God chose us in Him before the foundation 
of the world. Christ willingly underwent to take upon Himself 
the ministry of active and passive obedience. So it's not by our 
wisdom, it's not by our works, it's not by our good choices 
or our law-keeping, but it's all of free and absolute grace. We probably should have called 
our church Free and Absolute Grace Baptist Church. And then the exclusivity of Christ 
the Mediator in paragraph 9. Essentially, without Christ, 
there's no hope. The Pope can't function in this capacity. Your 
parents can't function in this capacity. No human being can 
function in this capacity. No person under heaven can function 
in this capacity. The office of Mediator between 
God and man is proper only to Christ. See, priestcraft is a 
sham. The idea that we need a Roman 
priest to somehow mediate for us so that we can come before 
God is absolutely unfounded, scripturally and confessionally. He alone is the prophet, priest, 
and king of the church and may not be either in whole or any 
part thereof transferred from him to any other. We need to 
respect and understand that. The role of pastors, for instance, 
is ministerial. It's not priestly in terms of 
sacrifice. No, it might be priestly in terms 
of interceding on behalf of the people of God. It's not kingly, 
the way Christ reigns and rules. It's ministerial. And it's certainly 
prophetic to the degree that we communicate what Christ's 
word says, but Christ is the prophet, priest, and king. And 
then paragraph 10 ends with a summation of our need and how Christ's 
offices supply or fill that need particularly. I love the way 
the kingly office is explained. Paragraph 10, this number and 
order of offices is necessary for in respect of our ignorance. 
I'm sorry, the prophetical office. For in respect of our ignorance, 
we stand in need of his prophetical office. Did y'all love that? 
We're ignorant. We need Christ the prophet. This is contra today, 
oh we're so brilliant, we're so smart, we're so, you know, 
evolved. No, we're ignorant on the best 
of days, sinfully so on the worst of days. 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. You see, what's introduced in 
paragraph 1 and alluded to all the way through is now sort of 
applied with reference to the elect themselves and what benefit 
they derive from this threefold office of prophet, priest, and 
king. And then in respect to our adverseness 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." I wonder if we ever reflect on the kingly office 
in this language. God, I need you to convince, 
subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve me. That's what 
a king does, right? He defends us, he protects us, 
he rules over us, he stabilizes the kingdom. All the things we 
see typologically in David. What was David's grand role in 
redemptive history? I mean, there was a whole lot 
of things, but in terms of Israel's life in the land, David provided 
security. He was a man of war. He was not 
going to build the house of God, not because he was ethically 
or ceremonially unclean because he had hands of blood, but because 
he was too busy killing Philistines to build the house for God. You 
see, he stabilized. He brought peace to Israel so 
that his son, Solomon, could be the temple builder. Solomon 
brought stability. Solomon brought peace to the 
kingdom. And that's what Christ does with 
reference to his people. He brings stability. He brings 
peace. He brings that protection and 
defense that we desperately need as the people of God. Submit 
that if you ponder these roles, prophet, priest, and king, roll 
them around in your head and heart. Think about what scripture 
says concerning our Lord Jesus in each of these particular offices. 
It's a beautiful thing. He answers to all of our need. Let us pray. Father, we thank 
you for this doctrine that is so obviously biblical. We thank 
you for the Bible that reveals these things unto us. I pray 
that we would get our minds and hearts wrapped around the person 
and the work of the Lord Jesus. not only so that we would be 
right doctrinally, but so that we would know that peace practically 
that this stuff brings to us. We ask that you bless our worship 
service, bring our brothers and sisters together safely, and 
may you be exalted and glorified. And we pray through Christ our 
Lord. Amen.