13 – “A Body… Prepared For Me” (Heb 10:5) (NEW)

We continue in our series entitled: “Our Sinless Yet Sympathetic Saviour,” a consideration of the all-sufficiency of the Word made flesh, to be both Substitute and Example for a fallen race. We need both, don’t we? We need a Substitute and we need an Example. And we have a perfect Substitute and a perfect Example in the saint, the God-man, the one incarnate, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We’ve been considering what He came to accomplish. {Audio starts from this point:} We took a close look at our condition on account of sin, and it gave us very solid basis from which to draw conclusions as to what He had to be in order to save us from our fallen state. Remember. Christ’s nature was tailor-made to accomplish a certain mission. Right? The mission wasn’t created to match the man; the man was designed to accomplish the mission. So if we are going to draw correct conclusions about what He was – that God-man – , we must first consider what he came to do, and then from that we can draw accurate conclusions regarding what He had to be in order to accomplish it. Correct? Correct.

He was absolutely unique, one of a kind, the only begotten of the Father. To accomplish a very special purpose, He was given a very special nature. Supernaturally, it was given to Him, for naturally He could not have what was necessary for Him to have in order to accomplish the mission. And we need to give due weight and consideration to the supernatural origin of His humanity. And that is the topic that we will address ourselves to this morning. The title of our study is: “A Body You Have Prepared For Me.”

It’s taken from Hebrews 10:5. Before we proceed in our study, though, before we dare to open God’s Word and consider the truths that He would have us understand, let’s make sure that the same spirit that inspired that Word is active, that it might be brought home to our understanding. Shall we kneel?

My Father in heaven, what a privilege, what a delight it is to come together, as Your blood-bought sons and daughters, to worship You in spirit and in truth. By feeding ourselves the Word of truth, we are putting ourselves in a position where You can energize us with your Spirit and transform us into Your likeness. We want to be sanctified by thy truth, Lord. We don’t want to just study it as an abstract theory or doctrine. We want to perceive in it He who is the truth, that in perceiving Him, in beholding Him, we might be changed into His likeness. Father God, by the Spirit of truth I pray that You would energize and quicken our mental and spiritual faculties that we might not only understand the truth but, even more importantly, choose to stand under the truth, to yield, to submit our wills to its claims upon our lives, that we might be molded and shaped into the lovely likeness of Him Who is the truth. Father God, I pray that You would loose my tongue. Bind it from saying anything that would mislead or misrepresent You, but loose it to speak words of truth with clarity, Father, and I shall trust your Spirit to bring those words home with power to the heart of each here as is needed. Lord, take full possession of me, I pray. I plead for the sake of Jesus and for the sake of His bride, use me to His honor and glory, and to her edification. This is my prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We need to take a close look at the inheritance factor of sin. And consider how it related to Jesus and how it relates to us. First, let’s consider how it relates to us. We receive by the law of heredity, from Adam through, of course, our immediate parents, both innocent infirmities and weaknesses and sinful propensities, a bent towards evil, tendencies to wrong.

{06’08”} Great Controversy, page 533: “Immortality, promised to man on condition of obedience, had been forfeited by transgression. Adam could not transmit to his posterity that which he did not possess.” {GC 533.1} A basic principle there. Adam could only pass on to his posterity that which he himself had. He was given by God the marvelous capacity to procreate in his own likeness, in his own image, and he could pass on through the law of heredity everything that he had. But he could not pass on what he did not have. When Adam lost his sinlessness, when he lost his holiness, when he lost his life, he could not pass on sinlessness or holiness or immortality to his posterity. But in losing sinlessness, what did he gain? Sinfulness. In losing holiness, what did he gain? Unholiness. So what did he have to pass on to his posterity? Both sinfulness and unholiness, as well as mortality. We receive all through the law of heredity.

{07’50”} In Spiritual Gifts, volume 3, page 53: “Seth was a worthy character, and was to take the place of Abel in right-doing. Yet he was a son of Adam like sinful Cain, and inherited from the nature of Adam no more natural goodness than did Cain. He was born in sin.” {3SG 53.3} He was what? Born in sin. In Genesis 5:3: “Adam lived 130 years and begot a son in his own likeness, after his own image, and named him Seth.” In whose likeness, in whose image was Seth? His own. And what had happened to his likeness? It had become what? Sinful, fallen, depraved because selfishness had taken the place of love and all of his mental and spiritual faculties were deranged, as well as his physical person.

{09’07”} Patriarchs and Prophets, page 80: “While Adam was created sinless in the likeness of God, Seth, like Cain, inherited the fallen nature of his parents.” {PP 80.1} He inherited the fallen nature, the sinful nature, of his parents. Because, though Adam was created sinless, when he forfeited that sinlessness, he could not pass it on. He could only pass on sinfulness. Therefore, every one of us that has been born to the human race ever since must confess with David, in Psalm 51:5: “Behold I was brought forth in sin, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Why are we born in sin? Because we are what? We are conceived in sin, and we receive thereby, through the law of heredity, a sinfulness of nature. Born in sin. Conceived in sin. What does this mean to us on an everyday basis?

{10’37”} Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1128 and 1129: “Because of sin, his” – this is in reference to Adam’s – ”posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience.” {5BC 1128.4} Please note, we’ve noted this phrase before, but take careful note. These propensities of disobedience. What are they? They are inherent. At what point do we have them? At birth. Why do we have them at birth? Because we were conceived in sin and received them through the law of heredity. Therefore, we are born with inherent propensities of disobedience.

Review and Herald, May 4, 1886. She speaks of the inborn evil of the natural heart. Inborn evil of the natural heart. That word “inborn.” From the dictionary it means implanted by nature, existing from birth, natural inherent. A synonym, innate. What is this evil? It is implanted by nature, existing from birth, it’s natural, inherent, it’s innate. Thus God says in Psalm 58:3: “The wicked are estranged from the womb and they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.” Why? Because they are innately, inherently evil and inclined to do such. They can’t do anything else. By nature they are estranged; therefore, in behavior they are estranged as well. They go astray as soon as they are born.

What has Adam transmitted to all of his posterity, then? A nature that is rebellious and inclined to self-indulgence, self-gratification and self-glorification. And this is a factor that all of us must contend with as human parents, isn’t it? {13’11”} Adventist Home, page 205: “You cannot bring up your children as you should without divine help.” Why? “For the fallen nature of Adam always strives for the mastery.” {AH 205.1} Have you discovered that, parents? If you haven’t, your eyes are closed. “For the fallen nature of Adam always strives for the mastery.”

{13’43”} What did Adam and we, on account of him, transmit to our children? Review and Herald, January 24, 1907: “Children inherit inclinations to wrong. The tendencies to evil should be carefully guarded against and repressed.” {RH Jan 24, 1907, par.7} Carefully guarded against and repressed.

{14’12”} Review and Herald, August 22, 1899: “Bear in mind that they” – this is in reference to the children – ”have received their perversity as an inheritance from the father and mother, and be patient with the children who have inherited your own traits of character.” {RH Aug 22, 1899, Art A, par.8} By the way, when we see those perversities, who do we have to blame? Where did they get them? From us. Their perversity is an inheritance from the father or the mother, and please, parents, don’t try to figure out which one they got it from. That will accomplish no good.

{14’57”} Education, page 29: “The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest in every man’s experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force which unaided he cannot resist.” {Ed 29.1} A bent towards evil. The result of what? His own sin? No. The result of Adam’s eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There is in his nature a bent towards evil. All the way down, even to this point in time. In fact, that bent towards evil, over the passage of degeneration of the human race, has become increasingly radical, hasn’t it? All of us have a bent towards evil, but that which determines how radical that bent is is more directly determined by our immediate parentage, particularly back to the third and fourth generation. That’s what determines the radicalness of the bent. All of us have it, but some of us have it a good deal more radically than others. And this is an important factor to keep in mind.

{16’19”} Listen. Testimonies, volume 2, page 391: “Children are born with the animal propensities largely developed.” And in the context this is in reference to parents who are particularly self-indulgent in these areas. Their children are born with animal propensities largely developed, “the parents own stamp of character having been given to them. The sins of the parents will be visited upon their children because the parents have given them the stamp of their own lustful propensities.” {2T 391.1} “Visiting the iniquities of fathers unto the children unto the third and fourth generation.” {Ex 20:5}

So the point that we must recognize is that the bent, or the strength of the propensity to evil, can radically vary from one person to another, dependent upon immediate inheritance factors. Okay? And the degree to which we are bent towards evil by natural inheritance, the strength of our naturally inherited propensities to evil will determine directly the intensity of our battle when we become born-again.

{17’50”} In the morning watch book, My Life Today, page 52: “If you will battle against selfish human nature, you will go forward steadily in the work of overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong.” {ML 52.4} But can you see how a person who has received through the law of heredity very strong tendencies and propensities to evil will have a much greater and more intense battle on his hands than another who has been advantaged by a good inheritance, with a relatively mild bent towards evil? Do you see the difference?

{18’36”} I read from Ministry of Healing, page 173, and this is leading to an important point, so bear with me. “Many have to battle against strong hereditary tendencies to evil. Unnatural cravings, sensual impulse were their inheritance from birth. These must be carefully guarded against, within and without. Good and evil are striving for the mastery. Those who have never passed through such experiences cannot know the almost over-mastering power of appetite or the fierceness of the conflict between habits of self-indulgence and the determination to be temperate in all things. Over and over again the battle must be fought.” {MH 173.3}

Are there some who don’t know what it’s like, the intensity of this battle? Yes, there are. Why? They have not received the same terrible inheritance and they have no experiential knowledge of what it’s like. Is this an advantage to them? Yes, of course, a tremendous advantage. But I ask you? What about Jesus? Did He know what it was like? Did He experience the almost over-mastering power of appetite? Did He know the fierceness of the conflict? Yes, of course. But how? Because He had such by inheritance? All of these strong hereditary tendencies to evil? Because He had all these unnatural cravings, sensual impulses, because those were His by inheritance at birth? No, never.

{20’33”} But I ask, How then does he know what it is like? Testimonies, volume 2, page 74: “Some have had a quick temper transmitted to them, and their education in childhood has not taught them self-control. While some are continually harassed, afflicted and in trouble because of their unhappy traits of character, having to war with internal foes and the corruption of their nature. Others have not half so much to battle against. They pass along almost free from the difficulties which their brethren and sisters, who are not so favorably organized, are laboring under. In very many cases they do not labor half so hard to overcome and live the life of a Christian as do some of those unfortunate ones I have mentioned.” {2T 73.1} Some don’t labor half as hard to overcome.

But here’s the point. If Jesus’ ability to sympathize with us in our struggles, if His personal acquaintance with the intensity of the battle that the most disadvantaged by inheritance go through, is dependent upon His having inherited by nature just what they have inherited, then it seems, does it not, that God picked the wrong mother? If He got His capacity to identify with the temptations and struggles of the vilest of sinners through the genes, then He would need to have received the vilest and most powerful hereditary tendency to wrong through the genes, that have ever been passed by the law of heredity. His human parent would have had to have been such a depraved and self-indulgent individual as the most depraved and self-indulgent parent has ever been.

Does not Mary, in that case, seem to be an unlikely choice? Oh, brothers and sisters, please hear me. Though He had the capacity – and we will not deny this, we will defend it fully – though He had the capacity to sympathize with our struggles against any and every inherited tendency to evil, He did not have it by inheriting those evil tendencies. Yes, He knows fully and personally, experientially, the intensity of the battle that the most degraded and depraved by inheritance must face to overcome, but not by becoming through inheritance equally degraded and depraved. That’s not how He gained the firsthand experience.

How did He gain it? And that will be our study in the future. In view of our relationship to the law, though, the law of heredity, what is our conclusion? {24’11”} Signs of the Times, December 17, 1902: “No man receives holiness as a birthright.” {ST Dec 17, 1902, par.2} Is that clear? “No man receives holiness as a birthright.” What does Luke call Christ? “That holy thing.” As a what? As a birthright. Isn’t there something unique here? “No man receives holiness as a birthright.” Why? What is holiness?

{24’57”} Testimonies, volume 5: “Holiness is agreement with God.” {5T 743.1} Simple, clear definition. In order to have holiness, then, we must have, first of all, God’s law written upon our hearts. And secondly, our will perfectly submitted to it. Okay? Does that not make sense? If holiness is agreement with God, we must have God’s law written upon our hearts. We must know what it is. And then we must have our will, which is the governing power in the nature of man, perfectly submitted to it. Then we can have what? Holiness. We can have holiness.

Do we have either of these essential requisites to holiness by natural birth? We do not. What about the law of God in the heart? {25’52”} Manuscript 156, 1907: “Humanity without the law of God in the heart does not obey its principles. Man is trying to bring in a supposed new order of things but the heart is corrupt and utterly unreliable.” {Ms156-1907.6} Why? Because when Adam sinned, the law of love was replaced by the law of what? Selfishness. As the servant of the Lord says, selfishness took the place of love. That is why man is by nature rebellious.

What about the human will? Does he have, by natural inheritance, this necessary requisite to holiness, a will that is submitted to the law of God? Most definitely not. {26’46”} Review and Herald, November 3, 1904: “Naturally, man is not willing to be what God desires him to be. He is not willing to act his part in meekness and holiness as did his great Exemplar.” {RH Nov 3, 1904, par.1} Why is man not naturally, that is by nature, willing to be what God desires him to be?

{27’09”} Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 1083: “The fall of our first parents broke the golden chain of implicit obedience of the human will to the divine. Obedience has no longer been deemed an absolute necessity. The human agents follow their own imaginations, which the Lord said of the inhabitants of the old world was evil and that continually.” {1BC 1083.9} Why is the will that we receive by natural inheritance not submitted to God? Because our first parents broke the chain of implicit obedience of the human will to the divine.

You see, brothers and sisters, we have to recognize that what happened to the first man happened to all men. And when the first man’s will was broken from its implicit obedience, every man’s will was broken with it, because we were all constituted genetically in him. And by the law of heredity we were all destined to be born in his likeness, with a will that was no longer submitted to Christ. When, however, he broke that obedience, that submission of his will to Christ, who did he give his will to instead? Satan. “Know ye not that ye are servants of whom ye serve” or obey.

When man chose to disobey God, he not only took his will out from under God’s lordship, but he also by the same act placed his will under Satan’s. {29’05”} Our High Calling, page 104: “Through yielding to sin, man placed his will under the control of Satan. He became a helpless captive to the tempter’s power.” {OHC 104.3} A helpless captive. Now, what is the condition of the human will as a result?

{29’28”} Signs of the Times, March 23, 1904: “The will has been depraved and weakened.” {ST Mar 23, 1904, par.5} Do you hear the two aspects there? Depraved and what? Weakened. What do you hear? Sinful propensities and innocent infirmities, don’t you? You hear that man’s will, that power – God-given power – was weakened, and you also hear that its function was deranged because it was depraved, and depravity is moral derangement. Which aspect of this will and sin’s consequence upon it do you suppose our Lord assumed? Let’s consider that when we come to it.

{30’28”} Mount of Blessings, page 61: “It is through the will that sin retains its hold on us. We are born with a will that is both weakened and depraved by sin, and it is through the will that sin retains its hold on us.” {MB 61.1} Why? Because the will is the governing power in the nature of man. And that hold is not broken until we deliberately, understanding our natural condition as fallen sons and daughters of Adam, and recognizing that the Second Adam has purchased our will back by his shed blood, it’s only as we recognize that and then make a choice for ourselves to take our will from its natural bondage to sin, self and Satan and give it to Jesus Christ, it’s not until that decision that the hold of sin is broken. Sin and self and Satan have complete control of us by nature until we are born again, because our will, by nature, is in the tyrannical grip of sin, and that is the governing power in the nature of man.

{31’46”} Great Controversy, page 505: “When man transgressed the divine law, his nature became evil and he was in harmony and not in variance with Satan.” {GC 505.2} Not only did he give his will to Satan but he gave his affections as well. He came – and this is a growing process, granted, but it began the moment of transgression. “He came to love sin and” what? “Hate God.” There came to be in him a natural enmity towards God and a natural love for sin. This is why God, even at the moment of his transgression, had to tell him, by promise, that he would put enmity between him and the woman. Why? Because it was not innately there. It had to be placed there by God. It was natural. Therefore, it had to be supernaturally given.

Now, how did this inheritance factor, as we have considered how it relates to us, how did it relate to Christ? By the law of heredity, brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ was subject to all our weaknesses and innocent infirmities, but He was not subject to our what? Sinful propensities and depravity. Note, regarding His subjection by the law of heredity to the weaknesses.

{33’37”} Desire of Ages, page 49: “It would have been an almost infinitely humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden.” In other words, when that nature had all of those God-given powers in fullness. “But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by 4000 years of sin.” Now, please note. What is the word that she uses here? Weakened. She doesn’t say depraved. She says weakened. What aspect of the consequence of sin upon man’s nature is she talking about, the sinful propensities? No, the what? The innocent infirmities. Oh, there are so many that distort the meaning of this passage because they don’t recognize what she’s talking about. “But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by 4000 years of sin. Like every child of Adam, he accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity.” {DA 48.6}

But in what realm is she speaking? In the realm of man’s weaknesses. Therefore, she goes on to say: “God permitted his Son to come a helpless babe subject to the weaknesses of humanity.” But was he subject to the sinfulness of humanity? Absolutely not. And we have established that and documented that all the way through our study now. So I won’t take the time to do it at this point. He took all of our infirmities, yes, but none of our sinfulness, none of our bent towards evil. None of our inherited tendencies to wrong. He was exempt from those.

I read from Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1128, and I recognize fully that this is a very controversial passage. We noted it just in passing in our last study, and I shy away from using such a controversial passage. This is from what’s known as the Baker Letter. But brothers and sisters, we can’t just ignore it. Why? Because it is, bar none, the most definitive and complete and extensive discussion that we have from the pen of Ellen White regarding this particular issue. She is addressing this particular issue expressly and explicitly, and we need to consider what she has to say. Even though it’s controversial, we can’t just set it aside.

{36’50”} So I read. “Be careful, exceedingly careful, as to how you dwell upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the Second Adam. The first Adam was created a pure, sinless being without a taint of sin upon him. He was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing.” By the way, let me insert here. Is it necessary to have propensities of disobedience in order to be able to be tempted and fall? Is it? Absolutely not. No. What is our proof? Adam. He had no propensities of disobedience but he was not only tempted, he fell.

Reading on. “He could fall and he did fall through transgressing. Because of sin, his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience.” There’s our phrase again. “Born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus.” The word is “but” Jesus. But signals a what? A contrast, something that is different. “But Jesus was the only-begotten son of God. He took upon Himself human nature and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned, He could have fallen, just as Adam could have sinned and could have fallen. But” what? “Not for one moment was there in him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden.” {5BC 1128.4} In other words, without propensities or tendencies to sin, without any indwelling or inbred sin.

I read on. “His birth was a miracle of God.” And that, brothers and sisters, is the key to the difference. Let’s consider it carefully. We need to ask ourselves, How could Christ be subject to one aspect of the inheritance but exempt from another? All the weaknesses, but none of the sinfulness of human nature. The answer lies in the origin of His human nature. It was absolutely unique, wasn’t it? It was unique on two counts. It was conceived by the Holy Spirit and it was prepared by God. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and prepared by God. This unique origin of His humanity we are talking about is the reason why He could be subject to the law of heredity, as all the sons and daughters of Adam are in the realm of weakness, but could be exempt from the law of heredity in the realm of sinful propensities and depravity.

{40’27”} Listen, again, the same letter. Letter 8, 1891. Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1128: “His birth was a miracle. ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’” Now listen to what she says. “These words do not refer to any human being except the Son of the infinite God.” What words? “That holy thing which shall be born of thee.” “These words do not refer to any human being except the Son of the infinite God. Never in any way,” she goes on to say: “leave the slightest impression upon human minds that a taint of or inclination to corruption rested upon Christ, or that he in any way yielded to corruption.” {5BC 1128.5}

Now consider with me. What is she saying that Christ did not do? First of all, He did not yield to corruption. But is that all that she’s saying that He did not have? No. She said He had no inclination to corruption. But is that all that she’s saying. No. She goes even further back and she says He didn’t even have a taint of corruption. No taint of corruption, no inclination to corruption, and no yielding to corruption. That is total sinlessness of nature, isn’t it? Why, of course.

What are we in contrast? {42’33”} I read from Testimonies, volume 5, page 645: “God will better be glorified if we confess the secret inbred corruption of the heart to Jesus alone.” {5T 645.3} What do we have to confess? Inbred corruption of the heart. Inbred corruption. Christ’s human nature, brothers and sisters, was specially prepared for him by his Father, as well as being conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Turn with me to the text from which we’ve taken the title of this study. Hebrews 10:5. “Therefore when He came into the world…” At what point is this then? This is at the point of becoming incarnate. Very significant. Consider what He said at that point: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, Behold I have come, in the volume of the book it is written of Me, to do Your will, O, God.”

This body that was prepared for Him. What was it prepared to eventually become? Verse 10: “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” That body. Now, that’s in reference to His what? His human nature. That human nature was especially prepared, custom-designed by God so that it could be a sinless offering. Right? Yes.

{45’41”} I read from Desire of Ages, page 23: “Nearly 2000 years ago, a voice of mysterious import was heard in heaven from the throne of God, Lo, I come: sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared for me. Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will, O, God.” {DA 23.1}In these words is announced the fulfillment of the purpose that had been hidden from the eternal ages. Christ was about to visit our earth and to become incarnate.

A body hast thou prepared for me. Very interesting verb here in the Greek. “katartizō” {G2675} I means to make complete, to restore, to repair, to make ready, to equip. Note with me just a few contexts. Its meaning is typically used to make perfect for its intended use. To make perfect or to make ready, to equip for its intended use.

Matthew 4:21. A rather mundane use of the verb. The disciples are “mending their nets.” That word translated “mending” is the same verb used here. God prepared a body for him. Matthew 4:21.

2 Corinthians 13:11: “Finally brethren, farewell. Become complete.” That’s the same verb. Become what? Complete. Or, as the King James puts it, be what? Be perfect. That’s the same verb. “A body hast thou prepared.”

Hebrews 13:20, 21: “Now may the God of peace make you complete.” Or in the King James: “make you perfect.” That is the same verb that is used in our Hebrew verse. “A body You have prepared for Me.” A body you have made what? Made perfect for me. Why did it have to be custom-made in perfection? Because it was made to be a sin offering, a sacrifice, and that had to be perfect. It had to be perfect.

In a very real sense, brothers and sisters, Christ was a new creation. He was the Second Adam. What did God prepare for the first Adam? A body. Formed from the substance of the earth. And he was head of a new creation. He came into being, not by the will of man, but by the will of God. Unique. What did God prepare for the Second Adam? A body. Formed from the substance of the virgin’s womb, and he, too, was the head of a new creation. He, too, came into being, not of the will of the flesh but of the will of God. Unique. Though his humanity was born and derived its substance from its human parent, it was nevertheless a body prepared, or made perfect, by whom? By God. It was a new creation thereby. There was a definite break in the old order and there was the introduction of a new. And what was the new exempt from? All the sinfulness of the old. Because He was especially prepared, made perfect, to be a sinless offering. He had to be exempt from that factor of the old.

{50’12”} In Manuscript 94, 1893, we read these remarkable words: “His human nature was created.” Isn’t that interesting. Can we say that of any of the rest of us? It was created back in our first parents but for us it is what? It is inherited. But Christ’s human nature, in a very significant way, was created. By whom? By God through the agency of the Holy Spirit. It’s interesting to note, in Luke 1. Turn with me there. Luke 1:35: “And the angel answered and said to he: The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you. Therefore, also, that holy one who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” “Therefore” marks a conclusion, right?

Why was the one that was born of her holy? Because the one that was born of her was conceived by the Holy Spirit that came over her. That word “overshadowed,” by the way, is the same that is used in Genesis 1:2. And what is that? You know it. Genesis 1:2: “The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering…” same word as “overshadowed,” “over the face of the waters.”

Now, what was the consequence of what God, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, created originally? What was very verdict? Genesis 1:31: “Then God saw everything that He made and indeed it was very good.” Does God ever create something, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, that is not very good? This body, this human nature, was created, prepared, made perfect by God, through the agency of the Holy Spirit. How could we possibly conclude that it was anything other than very good. In the absolute sense of the word, holy; holy. Would God create anything unholy? No. Not at all.

You see, brothers and sisters, the unique origin of His human body, His human nature. It was prepared by God and, at the same time, it was born of a woman. It had to be both for Him to fulfill His unique mission, to be both sinless Substitute and sympathetic Elder Brother and valid Example for the human race. Follow me, please. It had to be especially, supernaturally prepared by God, conceived by His Spirit, that His humanity might be preserved from the inheritance factor of sin. Remember. {54’20”} Child Guidance, page 475: “The inheritance of children is that of sin.” {CG 475.3}

But it had to be naturally born of a woman that His humanity might be subject to the great law of heredity in every other sense but sin. In the realm, in other words, of all those infirmities and weaknesses that had been increasing for 4000 years. Do you see how He was, even in His conception and in His development in the womb, absolutely unique and custom-made for the purpose of being both sinless Substitute and sympathetic Elder Brother and valid Example at the same time. He could not be all that humanity needed if He was not exempt from the sinfulness of human nature.

{55’28”} Signs of the Times, December 10, 1896: “In itself humanity is tainted and corrupted.” Is that clear? Could Christ have had such a humanity and been a sinless offering? If his humanity was tainted and corrupted, could He have been that sinless offering? No. Absolutely not. Was His humanity tainted and corrupted? Listen clearly.

{56’02”} Letter, 97, 1898: “He was born without a taint of sin, but came into the world in like manner as the human family.” {Lt97-1898.11} Do you see the uniqueness of His origin? Prepared by God, His body, and yet born of a woman at the same time. Prepared by God so that He could be without a taint of sin, and yet born of a woman so that He could be subject to all the infirmities and weaknesses that all the rest of us are. He was not tainted, His humanity. Was it corrupted, His humanity?

{56’46”} Manuscript 16, 1890. This is found, by the way, in Bible Commentary, volume 7, page 907: “Although He was tempted in all points like as we are, He stood before the world from His first entrance into it untainted by corruption, though surrounded by it.” {7BC 907.5} Is this talking, then, about corruption that is the result of wilful disobedience? No. He was untainted by corruption from when? From His first entrance into it, He was untainted by corruption. Brothers and sisters, he had to be exempt from the sin factor of inheritance that He might be our sinless Substitute. And yet He had to be subject to the weakness factor of inheritance that He might be our sympathetic Elder Brother and valid Example. Praise God, He was both. So in Him we have both a sinless Substitute and a what? A sympathetic Elder Brother and valid Example. For He was subject to all our infirmities and knows experientially what it is like to be tempted in all things like as we are.

Therefore, He can be called at birth what? That holy thing. {58’15”} Selected Messages, volume 1, page 310, again: “No man inherits holiness as a birthright.” But what is the decree of God regarding that which was born of Mary? That holy thing. He had two necessary factors, then, at birth in order to be holy. What are the two essential requisites for holiness? Remember, holiness is agreement with God. What are the two essential requisites for holiness? The law of God, a knowledge of it in our hearts and, secondly, perfect submission of the will to it. Did Christ have such? Absolutely.

Turn with me to Psalm 40:8. This is the very passage that Paul is quoting from in Hebrews. “Sacrifice and offering,” verse 6: “You did not desire.” You recognize that? Verse 8, notice, what is his testimony? “I delight to do your will, O, My God, and Your law is within My heart.” That’s in reference to his commitment and His condition at what point? At birth. God’s law was in His heart and His will was perfectly submitted to it. The will is what? The governing power in the nature of man. Do you see how a will perfectly submitted to the law of God, written on one’s heart, would enable one to be holy from birth? Why, of course. Do you see how holiness cannot even begin to become a part of our experience until rebirth, because only at rebirth do we have that new heart that has the law what? Written upon it. Only at rebirth have we taken our will from its natural bondage to sin, self and Satan and given it to Jesus Christ. But Jesus, what was the condition of His will at birth?

{1h00’45”} Signs of the Times, October 29, 1894: “He (Jesus) began life.” Please note. What are we talking about? His very beginning. “Began life, passed through its experience and ended its record with a sanctified human will. He was tempted in all points like as we are and yet, because He kept His will surrendered and sanctified, He never bent in the slightest degree toward the doing of evil or toward manifesting rebellion against God.” {ST Oct 29, 1894, par.7} So He had those two essential factors for holiness, didn’t He? Agreement with God. “Thy law is within My heart and I come to do Thy will.” Totally submitted to that law that was written upon His heart.

{1h01’41”} Steps to Christ, page 59: “It was His (Christ’s) delight to do the will of God. Love to God, zeal for His glory, was the controlling power in our Saviour’s life. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions. Love is of God. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. Is found only in the heart where Jesus reigns.” {SC 59.3}

In light of this inheritance factor, brothers and sisters, what is our childhood and Christ’s childhood? In light of this inheritance factor, what is our childhood like and what was Christ’s childhood like? Consider that briefly with me. {1h02’30”} As we’ve noted already, Adventist Home, page 205: “You cannot bring up your children as you should without divine help, for the fallen nature of Adam always strives for the mastery.” {AH 205.1} I ask you, Was Mary up against the fallen nature of Adam that was always striving for the mastery in her young son Jesus? Was she up against that fallen nature of Adam that strove for the mastery? In herself, but was it evidenced in Him? No, of course not. If He had the same fallen nature that strove for the mastery, who do we have to thank for the perfect sinlessness of Jesus Christ during that time when He couldn’t possibly have understood all God’s will? Who do we have to thank? His mother. If he had the same inheritance. That’s absurd, isn’t it.

{1h03’29”} But listen to what actually was Joseph’s and Mary’s experience regarding Christ. Sons and Daughters of God, page 134: “Joseph, but especially Mary, kept before them the remembrance of their child’s divine Fatherhood. Jesus was instructed in accordance with the sacred character of His mission. His inclination to right was a constant gratification to His parents.” {SD 134.3} His inclination to what? To right. Wouldn’t that be nice, parents? Oh.

{1h04’04”} Desire of Ages, page 69: “With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of His powers and beheld the impress of perfection upon His character.” Was she responsible for developing that perfection of character? She was used by the Holy Spirit in the process. But was that perfection of character attributable to her excellence of parenting? No. What was it attributable to? His sinlessness of nature, his being that had the law written upon it and a will that was totally sanctified from the moment of his birth. “With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of His powers and beheld the impress of perfection upon His character. With delight she sought to encourage that bright receptive mind. Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to cooperate with the heavenly agencies in the development of this child, who could claim only God as His Father.” {DA 69.1}

{1h05’13”} Desire of Ages, page 71: “The life of Jesus was a life in harmony with God. While He was a child, He thought and spoke as a child but no trace of sin marred the image of God within Him. Yet He was not exempt from temptation, and let’s don’t forget that.” {DA 71.1} What of the issue of enmity that we have referred to in relationship now to Christ? We naturally have an enmity towards who? God and a love for what? Sin and self and Satan. What about Christ? Did He have a natural enmity? Yes, He had a natural enmity, but for whom? For Satan and for sin.

{1h06’08”} Listen. Signs of the Times, June 9, 1898: “The enmity put between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman was supernatural.” That’s in our case, isn’t it? It’s not there naturally. But listen, in regards to Christ. “With Christ, the enmity was in one sense natural; in another sense, it was supernatural, as humanity and divinity were combined.” Now, the natural aspect of enmity is in reference to what? His humanity. The supernatural aspect of His enmity is in reference to His what? His divinity. Did you catch that? “With Christ, the enmity was in one sense natural; in another sense, it was supernatural, as humanity and divinity were combined.” Listen. “And never was the enmity developed to such a marked degree as when Jesus became an inhabitant of this earth. Never before had there been a being upon the earth who hated sin with so perfect a hatred as did Christ. He had seen its deceiving, infatuating power upon the holy angels, and all His powers were enlisted against it.” {ST June 9, 1898, par.8}

There’s the supernatural dimension. You see, He was not only a sinless man with a natural hatred, but He was God who had seen what sin had done in heaven, and that supernatural dimension added to His enmity. Therefore, never had anyone hated sin with so perfect hatred as did Christ.

{1h08’05”} Testimonies, volume 2, page 202: “As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil.” {2T 201.2} What did we just read about the consequence of eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil upon every man’s experience. There is in His nature a what? A bent toward evil. But what about the sinless one? His nature what? Recoiled from evil. Just the very opposite. With a nature that recoiled from evil, can we possibly dare to suggest that He had tendencies and inclinations to evil at the same time? Of course not. And yet so many do. His nature recoiled from evil. I ask you, Could he be tempted with evil then? Was it in any way enticing or attractive to Him? Satan could not tempt Him with evil because His nature recoiled from evil. He had to tempt Him in a unique way, brothers and sisters. He had to appeal to God-given, sinless appetites and passions and desires and ambitions and try to get Him to yield to those in a God-forbidden way. And we will discuss that later.

But please recognize that Satan couldn’t come up to Jesus Christ and try to entice Him to something overtly and obviously evil. Because He was what? He was repulsed by it. He hated sin with a perfect hatred. His nature recoiled from evil. Indeed, our Lord was unique, wasn’t he? Perfectly fitted, prepared for His mission that He could accomplish all that He was sent to do, to be our sinless Substitute and our sympathetic Example.

In closing, consider with me Isaiah 49:3-5: “And He said to me, You are my servant, O, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” What does it mean to glorify God? It means to reveal His character in our own, for God’s glory is His character. To glorify God is to characterize God. And what was Jesus sent to do? To glorify God. And to do this, which fallen man had rendered himself incapable of doing, He had to be unique; He had to be different than fallen man. Verse 5. And now the Lord says: “Who formed from the womb to be his” what? “His servant, to bring Jacob back to him: for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be My strength.”

Do you see what that passage is telling us? He was formed in the womb, a body was prepared for him by God, to be a what? A servant. One whose will was totally and perfectly submitted to the will of the master. To be glorious. “For I shall be glorious in the eyes of God.” In other words, one who had no mar or blemish to the character likeness of the Father. And what else? “My God shall be My strength.” There was perfect union and dependence upon the Father. Only such a one, prepared uniquely, could accomplish the mission, brothers and sisters. “In whom I shall be glorified.”

{1h12’55”} Bible Commentary, volume 7, page 924: “Only humanity could reach humanity. He lived out the character of God through the human body which God had prepared for Him. He blessed the world by living out in human flesh the life of God, thus showing that he had the power to unite humanity to divinity. He came with a unique body, free from sin, so that he could perfectly reveal God’s character to us.” {7BC 924.6} And looking unto Jesus, what do we see? All the glory, the fullness of His glory, as Paul says in Hebrews 1:3.

{1h13’40”} Signs of the Times, July 30, 1896: “Looking upon Christ in humanity, we look upon God and see in Him the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” {ST July 30, 1896} Brothers and sisters, but please recognize and rejoice with me that Christ came not only to reveal God’s glory to us, and not only was He especially equipped in His humanity to do that, namely sinless, but He came to reveal us to whom? To God as well. And to do that, He had to become one like us in everything except sin. He had to take all of our infirmities and weaknesses.

{1h14’35”} I read from Manuscript 111, 1897: “But a body of flesh had been prepared for Him. He concealed His divinity by a garb of humanity. Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself that He might be qualified to represent man in the heavenly courts.” {Ms111-1897.4} Oh, praise God that he came to us, that holy thing, so that he could rightly represent God to us and, praise God as well that he has gone back as that holy one who alone can rightly represent the human race to God. Praise God for his uniqueness. Praise God that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and prepared by the Father, equipped thereby to accomplish the full mission that he was sent to accomplish in our behalf. Shall we pray.

Oh Father in heaven, we thank You for sending Your Son. Jesus, we thank You for choosing to come. And we thank You that You not only chose to be made in the likeness of man, but You chose as well to be a servant to man. While being God and being the Sovereign Majesty of the universe, You were willing to become a poor mortal, a servant of servants; oh amazing condescension, oh amazing unselfishness! As we consider it Father, and look into our own hearts, we despise what we see in contrast. Oh Lord, let that mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Help us Lord to become obedient unto our death, the death of the old man. Thank you that Christ died daily to His divinity that we might die daily to our sinful humanity. Thank You that He kept divinity under that we might keep the body under. Thank You that He remained a partaker of humanity, though everything in His sinless nature wanted to flee from it, so that we could remain partakers of divinity, though everything in our sinful nature wants to flee from it. Oh Father, help us to accept both the forgiving and the enabling grace that is ours in and through the Word made flesh. This is our prayer in His name. Amen.