At The Table of the Lord

"In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!"1Corinthians:11:17-22

In the Greco-Roman world in which the early Church emerged and the Holy Scriptures were written there were many cultural customs and practices that people of the day followed.  These cultural practices influenced their daily lives  often without any thought as to what or why people followed many of these practices and  some of them found their way in and among Christians fellowships.

The Roman dining practice of dividing guest at a social occasion was often  used,  unfortunately,  even among Christians during times of fellowship and even at the very Table of the Lord where Christians were to be able to as one and find themselves accepted as part of the greater body of Church.

 "Echeloned Society"

The  practice,  which was prevalent among even  Christians was that of an "echeloned society" which was driven by social status. This "echeloned society"  kept persons "in their place" and spoke volumes regarding their relationship with those around them and their place with in the greater community of the times. It was a very  station and class conscious world. (even as it is today)

This "echeloned society"  shackled persons into an divided  world dictated by economic realities, rich poor, free and slave , included and excluded.  It was very difficult for a person of that time to find a means of upward social mobility.

Echeloned Social  Events

This"echelon"  of relationship(s) would manifest itself  in the social events of the day, when a person of station within the community would hold a social occasion there would be a decided "echelon" of status among the guest in relation to the person who hosted the gathering. 

This "echelon" of relationship(s) would divide the guest(s) into groups; those who were of a lesser social "echelon" found them selves confined to a rather un-opulent part of the house hold or dining hall away from the gathering's host with little or no direct contact with the host aside from a brief ceremonial greeting, that at least to,  some extent, acknowledged that they had come to the occasion.

This confined common gathering  area,  in which the "lesser social echeloned" guest(s) were to congregate, was called the atrium  and was often  bland and minimally adorned,  there would be no or few a furnishings, maybe an uncomfortable communal  bench or some  small chairs.  They often found themselves standing while they dined rather than reclining or sitting at a table, they often ate at  a latter time,  after the more important guest had been served,  and some did not get to eat at all.

The "lesser social echeloned" guest(s) found themselves often kept waiting to be served ,and were often directed to the nearest exit after they had eaten. They , as well,  were discouraged from wondering out of this area to explore other  areas of the gathering.They found themselves excluded.

The quality of the food and libations , as well as the attentiveness of the service to these "lesser" guest(s)  was in stark contrast to that of the guest(s) of higher "social echelon"  who enjoyed a greater quality  social and dining experience. 

 Higher Echelon

These more" important guest(s)"  were escorted into the presence of the gatherings  host who would be seated in room or garden setting this place of reception was called the triclinium,  which would be well appointed and adorned.  These "important guest(s)"  had their names announced publicly  and shown to a place of honor where they were able to recline in  comfort on plush couches  at a table laden with  the highest quality food and libations. These important guest could dine to thier contentment often to excess.  This place of honor was separate from the "lesser guest(s)"  which emphasized the distinctness of the  social "echelons"   of the day.

At The Lord's Table

This "echeloned" society in which people lived in and still live in, unfortunately found it's way even into the Church thru this divided Roman dining practice and came to manifest itself at the Table of the Lord among the Christians in the Greek city of Corinth and served to divide the  fellowship of those Christians into social "echelons" .

This issue became such a problem that the Apostle Paul had to deal with in his Epistle to the Corinthian Church.

"In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!" 1Crth:11:17-22

This Roman dining practice was dividing  the Church at the very place where the greatest unity and place of inclusion  of all should have been manifested at the Communion supper at  the table of the  Lord. 

The Lord's table was intended to bring Christians together as one in Jesus, all fully included and wanted, yet the Corinth Christians were flouting their social "echelons"  and excluding those who hand little means to change their station in life or had little means. This brought a sense of humiliation to some and  created  the impression that some how some Christians  belong to a lesser "atrium" within the fellowship of the Church, while others could be accounted at dining in the  "triclinium" as honored guest,  inferring that they had greater access to the host of the occasion ,Jesus Christ.

They were viewing their social "echelon" as some sort of material  evidence of God's favor residing upon them  and that the lower social "echelon" were some how less favored by God,  yet  their behavior at the Lord's table was unseemly for those who claim such statues and caused division among the Church.

"No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval"

 These Christians are missing the point of coming to the Lord's table, it is not a place of self advancement for their own purposes yet this is how some of them viewed it.

 "So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers"

Paul states that this division was being reported and that some were  not exercising self control in their uses of wine and food this reflected the self serving nature of their thinking.

"I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you" , 

"As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk."

Not At The Lord's Table

Paul contexts their division  causing actions to a lack spiritual discernment  regarding just whom the Church truly belongs , that the Church is not just a social fellowship but a gathering of those whom are in fellowship with the great God .Paul corrects this as immature behavior and is not praise worthy among Christians as it is among the world and should not be found when Christians gather at the Lord's Table.

"Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!"

The Purpose of the Supper

Paul begins to remind them and all of us the true purpose and nature of the Lord's supper that it is to point us ever to Jesus Christ and all that He has done fro us and is for us, that it is to encourage us to live in constant remembrance of Jesus, that is , not just recounting the past but an ongoing remembrance, or awareness of Jesus .

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes."(23-26)

Paul is not just speaking of what had happened in the  past, but he is telling them , (those who believed that they had God's approval as evidenced by their perceived social "echelon" , and all of us , ) that we are all sinners in need of  Jesus, that we could not save our selves regardless as to where we believe ourselves to be in the  social "echelon" .  We are all equally in need of Jesus.

Paul then cautions to approach the table of the Lord as no mere social occasion but rather to see it for what it is , or acknowledgment of humanities inability to save it's self regardless of who we might think we are, the Table of the Lord is the great equalizer of all humanity that breaks down the social "echelons" that humanity has erected and divides us apart and relegates some to lesser status.

As One , the Self of God

Jesus wants us to care for one another as members of the body of Christ and to one another   as he and the Father is one. Jesus did not view the Father as being separate from himself in the way we normally think of it. Jesus is the "self of God" , if Jesus is not the "self of God", God  could not reveal himself in Jesus . Jesus wants this "oneness"  for all of us   as well,  and he prayed such just before his death.

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you."Jhn:17:20b-21

Jesus does not want us  to see each other as separate from one another , some of the Corinthian Christians saw the others as just that "others", not apart of them, not seeing Jesus us the one by whom this unity would come and their behavior reflected this , that is , they did not rightly discern the Lord's Body , that is other members of the Church, whom they were humiliating by their actions.

"For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves" (29)

The Lord's Body

Paul warns each and all to approach the Lord table with reverence and honor, a lesser mindset could bring problems upon us. Jesus has made it possible for us to come together as one in full  recognition  of who he is and who we are in him. When we come to the Lord's table we are acknowledging who Jesus is and who we are in him.Paul wants us to reflect upon this truth each time we come together at the Lord's able , and all times.

"So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment." (27-31)

 Paul address that we need to assemble in full acceptance of one another and not to  look upon others as less then  our selves but see us all as having a place of high honor with one another, Paul calls this "eat together" meaning more than just being at a common location but rather it is unity in fellowship.

"Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.  So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment".(32-34)

 The Accessible Host

In the Roman dining culture the host was removed from most of the guest who attended their social occasions, or had very limited access to them, but Jesus is  the accessible host of  his supper,  he welcomes any and all equally and walks among them and assures each and all  of their honored place as his guest at his table and provides and offers freely to  us all with the very best .

 Our Lord Jesus has called us all to be guest at his table where we are wanted and included , here is a place for any and all who will but come come and share in the joyous  fellowship at the Table of the Lord..Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

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Jesus Presented in the Temple

" When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord" Luke:2:22

After the time of Mary's forty days of purification after the birth of her firstborn ,were completed,  Joseph and Mary bring their son Jesus to the Temple  at Jerusalem to be presented before God and be dedicated to his service. 


"(as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"),   and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."(23-24)

As they walk through the Temple courts a man of God named Simeon, to whom God  had spoken regarding the coming Messiah ,  was moved by the Holy Spirit to enter the Temple and as he does Simeon encounters Jesus and his family.



"Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.   Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law," (25-27)

 Messiah Present in Temple

Simeon had long sought the coming of the promised Messiah,  as did many in Israel , and now here he was in  the person of the young child Jesus ,  in the very Temple of God. Simeon was then moved by the Holy Spirit to entered that scared place and in doing so he encounters Jesus after his parents had made the sacrifice of purification.

Simeon  is drawn to  Jesus and immediately thru the discernment of the Holy Spirit recognizes Jesus as the very one that he, and all,  have truly been seeking, the very promised Messiah the one by whom and thru whom God  would bring salvation to any and to all who would but freely receive it.

The great God , the very Creator of all things;  the God who called Abram out of Ur  and promised him, that thru his seed all nation would be blessed , this God had now demonstrated  his faithfulness to fulfill his word  by sending his Son, the seconded person of the Holy Trinity , fulfilling God's word and promises and covenant showing that God is faithful, to each and all.

Simeon approaches the family and looks upon Jesus, the Spirit of God  confirms that Jesus is the fulfillment of all that has been promised ,that  this child , which was presented there in the Temple that day is the very salvation of all humanity if they will but freely receive it.

 Now at Peace

As Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and embraces him  the assurance of God wells up within him, the certainty of God's faithfulness and love in made real in the old man's heart and he responds with giving praise to God for Jesus,for  Simeon, and all of us can now be at peace. God has worked on behalf of all peoples Jew and Gentile alike.

Simeon receives this personally for himself and acknowledges that it is now true for each and all. Simon then utters his poem of praise to God knowing that he could be be at peace.

"Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and the glory of your people Israel.” (28-32)

Anna's Life Fulfilled

Also in Jerusalem there was an elderly widow  woman named Anna,  who had spent her life crying out and praying for the Messiah to come and , she too would encounter Jesus and thru the Holy Spirit come to see that God had answered her prayers . As she beheld Jesus,  Anna is moved to give God praise,  then is  moved to share her encounter with any who is near at hand and speaks to them about Jesus.

"There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (36-38)

Jesus Still being Presented 

When we read accounts like this in the pages of Scripture we can think of them as being static and set in only a given time and place, but the Word of God transcends time and location and can speak to any and all in what ever time we live here upon the Earth. When this is clear to us we can see the salvation of God being presented to all  thru this account in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This presentation of Jesus was and is not just for Simeon and Anna two-thousand years removed from us, it is for peoples down thru the ages.  Jesus is,  even now,  still being presented  within the very Temple of God, which is his Church. 

 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"1Corth:3:16

 This is not just history,  it is the present reality each time believers come together to worship the God who is come in the person of Jesus is there in our midst revealing himself to those who gather to worship. 

As  Simeon and Anna, who by the agency of the Spirit were drawn to and  saw in Jesus the salvation of God , when we are , by the Holy Spirit drawn to Jesus and our minds and hearts are opened to see that Jesus is the very one whom we all have truly been seeking; 

 "No man comes to me except the Father Draw him" Jhn:6:44

It was the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity,  who led  Simeon and Anna into the Temple  to Jesus , and it is The Holy Spirit who still  even to this very day leads people into the "Temple courts" of the Church where they too can encounter Jesus. The Holy Spirit will always lead to Jesus and speak of him.

"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father--the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father--he will testify about me" Jhn:15:26

Then our response   should be as was Simeon and Anna's , to worship and give God praise for his fitfulness and fulfilling his word and promises which have come down thru the ages, promises not just to Israel but to all people, this is what Paul address when speaking of the promised seed of Abraham being a blessing to all humanity.

"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ."Gal:3:16

Jesus is what Simeon sang about.

"For my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and the glory of your people Israel."

Taken into Our Arms

Jesus is our Salvation, that is who Jesus is for each and all of us. He is within the very "Temple"  of his Church  being presented to us, thru the proclamation of the Gospel message , prayer , the ordained Sacraments, worship and fellowship,  Jesus is there  just waiting for our response to the lead of the Holy Spirit  to enter in and look upon him that we might embrace him even as Simeon did , that is "take him into our arms", we accept him, we believe him, we receive him. We see him for who he is our very Salvation  and we respond by worshiping the great God.

"Simeon took him in his arms and praised God,"

When we embrace Jesus we can have no other response but to worship God and praise him for his faithfulness to us all.

Depart in Peace

Simeon could now be at peace, he had seen the Messiah face to face in Jesus. Now his life as Anna's had fulfilled their purpose in coming  to believe in Jesus. 

 "you may now dismiss your servant in peace For my eyes have seen your salvation",(29b-30)

 We all were born to come to believe in Jesus, that is purposes of our lives  to believe in Jesus Christ; When we come to believe in Jesus our lives have accomplished everything a human life was ever meant to accomplish .

We like, Simeon  , can depart in peace , that is,  we need not fear, not the past , nor the present, nor the future not even sin and death;  nor the grave,  for we have seen Salvation. God has thru Jesus made eternal life ours if we but freely receive it. All fear can now  be gone. We can "depart in peace"  as Simeon proclaimed. 

Telling Others About Jesus

Anna had such a powerful experience with the infant Jesus that she told any who were present about him.

"Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem".Lk:2:38

Do we , when we  have encountered Jesus   able tell others about him?...We should be ready when God provides the opportunity to speak about Jesus and invite them to come and see him even as he is presented in the Church.

Anna spoke of Jesus with humble boldness to all that she saw in the Temple, people who needed to hear about Jesus, that Redemption has arrived and is there for them.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"1Ptr:3:15

Anna told others about Jesus even as he was yet and infant, how much more should our lives proclaim a risen glorified Savior to the world around us.

  Even As an Infant

Jesus' life is of such power that even as an infant , before he utters even one word of the divine message of God, Jesus was impacting others and transforming their lives and revealing the faithfulness of the great God to send Salvation into the lives of humanity that we might  come to know him and live eternally with him.

"this is eternal life that they might know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" Jhn:17:3

Even now Jesus is here in the midst of the Church,  and in and by the lives individually and collectively of Christians Jesus  is, even now,  being presented to any and to all that they may see Jesus  and see God's  faithfulness and  salvation for and  to us all.....Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

Freedom in Christ

Part 4 of 4

“If it’s not about Jesus, it’s not about anything.”

(Motto of the Fountain of Life)

Invocation:  Father, in Jesus’ name we pray that this subject be treated faithfully, honestly and respectfully.  We invoke the motto of the Fountain of Life to keep all that follows in a proper focus and that the name of Jesus be glorified.  

In prior sections three questions were answered.  

1) Who is Jesus?  He is the legitimate outrageously faithful giver of grace and freedom.   

2)  Who are we?  We are God’s very own children:  legally through adoption; ontologically through begettal; and emotionally through our Abba, Father.   

3)  What does freedom look like?   

On the one hand, we discussed what freedom does not look like.  We examined a tragic shooting, the commands of God and the condition the heart and determined that God will allow each sinner’s heart to judge itself and that only God knows the heart.  Therefore we cannot determine who is in hell.  What we can determine is that we are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10); that freedom in Christ does not authorize, permit or condone murder or any sin.  We know this because sin does not reflect the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).   And one incredible aspect is that this freedom in Jesus includes the ability to please God.  Today we shall continue with question 3. 

There exists a freedom which is far more wonderful than a physical ability to move or to act without constraint; or a mental ability to act upon what we desire; it is far more precious than a technical legal right granted by a government or a sovereign authority.   It is the freedom which exists in Christ.  How do we get it?  Broadly speaking, we get it when we obey God.  At this point many will argue that obedience is not freedom; that submission is demeaning.   

Atheists Richard Dawkins & Sam Harris

Atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris argue that obedience to God is oppressive and lead to social abuse.  It follows that rebellion against God or cultivating our own will to power (Frederick Nietzsche) is the only true freedom.  That argument is actually well accepted, however it confuses ability with freedom.  Let us dispose of it with a solid example. 

In part 3 we touched upon the law of Gravity.  Is obedience to Gravity servitude, demeaning or oppressive?  Is the ability to break law the only true freedom?  Not at all!  And here is where misunderstanding of freedom arises.  Equating lawlessness to freedom is a false equivalence.  The ability we possess to break the law of gravity; to jump off a high building or out of a plane without a parachute is not freedom.  It is insanity.   That is self-evident because our basic human instinct is that of self-preservation.  It is insanity to commit an act which leads to self-destruction.  And it is self-evident that disobedience to gravity leads to our harm.    

Gravity is not oppressive.  In fact it is a law that gives us freedom to move and to live.  Without it, we would fly off the earth.  We would never be able to build or establish anything that is permanent.  That includes our farms, food, water sources, etc.  It is self-evident that obedience to Gravity leads to our good.  In like manner, obedience to God leads to our good.  Freedom from God leads to our harm.  Obedience to God frees us to live.  Disobedience to God leads to death.

VICARIOUS HUMANITY

When we accept Jesus as Lord, we participate in a change, a recapitulation initiated by His Vicarious Humanity.  Recapitulation is a change of headship.  Adam answered for all mankind as our universal representative once and led us all collectively into destruction.  Jesus answered for all mankind as our universal representative once and led us all collectively into salvation.    As no one was excluded from Adam’s destruction, no one is excluded from Christ’s salvation. 

Therefore all people, you and me included, under Adam’s headship fall into destruction.  “The heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked,” Jer. 17:9.  This is our nature.  This is our legacy from Adam.  Without Jesus it is true of all men.  It is true of me and it is true of you.  It will be true until we are dead and buried and forgotten.   

And here is a mystery.  At the same time all people, you and me included, under Jesus’ headship fall under the grace of His salvation.  Read many verses such as Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".  This is God’s unilateral transaction at the universal level, some say the Federal level.    This is God’s unchanging free will for us.  This is grace.

But what about me as a person?  What about the individual? Is the individual important?  Yes!  Relationships begin with the individual.  Remember that Adam, individually as a person, sinned alone, nevertheless all of mankind fell under Adam’s condemnation.  Jesus, individually as a person died alone, nevertheless all of mankind falls under Jesus’ Salvation.  The ramifications of their individual actions had universal import.  The individual is supremely important. We are far more than just nameless lambs in Christ’s flock.  We are children of the Father, and as such we each have individual identity and importance with Him.

Our individual freedom from the law of sin and death, from the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1) is our freedom in Jesus.  It has its actualization in us through the vicarious life of Jesus.  We see that Jesus is human.  Jesus is God.  That means He has the power to live a vicarious human life for us.  Vicarious broadly means, in our place.  And this directly effects even our repentance.  How does the vicarious humanity do this?  Let’s look at repentance and faith.

THE REPENTANCE & FAITH NECESSARY FOR SALVATION

Brethren remember Galatians 2:20.  “I live by the faith of the Son of God.”  We do not stand or fall on the strength or weakness of our own faith.  We live by Jesus Christ’s faith.  We are one with the body of Christ, therefore His faith is attributed to us.  And by it we live.  In like manner let us consider our repentance.

Theologian Elmer Colyer

Theologian Elmer Colyer said that, “This is where (Tom) Torrance really drove this point home for me, is, when Jesus starts his ministry, the first thing he does is he goes to John the Baptist and he’s baptized in the Jordan. Well, John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. And I never could get my mind around why Jesus went to John to be baptized. He didn’t need to be baptized. He didn’t have any sins to repent of. So what is this whole thing with Jesus going into the Jordan and being baptized?”

Theologian Thomas Torrance

Thomas Torrance asks, whose sin is Jesus confessing there in the Jordan?  He is sinless.  He doesn’t have any sins of his own to confess.  But through His vicarious humanity he takes our sinful corrupt diseased deprived and alienated humanity upon Himself.  He is our big brother who does it all for us in our place.  Jesus even confesses our sins correctly and righteously, because we can’t even do that right.  Colyer says, “So all of this wallowing in our guilt and everything that we often times do as Christians, we don’t even do that right. We can’t even repent. We don’t even feel sorry for our sins in the right way. Even Jesus has to step into the Jordan. Think of it, the Son of God stepping into the Jordan, confessing all of our sins once for all in a perfect way so that we don’t always have to be worried, ‘did we confess it enough?’ you know, are we sorry enough?”  Jesus simply cuts the ground out from underneath our worry. “Christ has already done that, in our place, in our behalf, in our place – he invites us then to simply say; Lord I screwed up again, but thanks be to God you identified with me in my brokenness, you already know it, you’ve already confessed it, you offer me, your new life once again on the basis of what you’ve done there on the Jordan confessing my sins.”  He even frees us from worry and doubt.

Theologian Gary Deddo

Jesus repenting for us is only one aspect of His vicarious humanity.  He draws us to share in His humanity and to become like Him to have his mind and heart (Philip 2:5).  Theologian Gary Deddo says, “He put on our humanity to heal it, to restore it, to forgive it and to cut it away from sin and set us free. When we become like Christ, we’re not becoming like something different from Christ: we’re becoming one with his humanity.  He’s sharing everything He has with us, so what’s His is ours, and what’s ours is His.  Including His repentance for us.”   

He assumes our imperfect faith and repentance.  He frees us from our own weak, carnal, imperfect faith and repentance, and shares his powerful, spiritual and perfect faith and repentance with us and allows us to make them our own.  From what else does Jesus free us?

VICARIOUS DEATH AND BURIAL

Freedom enters into our salvation

The Western Church has inclined towards theologia cruces, theology of the Cross; that is toward things surrounding the Good Friday event.  The Eastern Church has inclined towards theologia gloriae, theology of glory; that is toward things surrounding the Easter event.  However, Good Friday cannot exist without Easter and Easter without Good Friday.  The humiliation of Christ occurs in the public arena.  It is the suffering and crucifixion under Pontus Pilate, dying, being buried and descending into hell.  And it is here, in His humiliation, that His vicarious humanity has a direct bearing upon our freedom and salvation.

Judged:  The death of Jesus Christ accomplished His law.  By this we mean that in the death of Jesus Christ, the Persons of God have acted as the Judge and the Defendant as required by law.  They have passed the verdict, which was carried out upon the Defendant.   The judgment which belonged to us was placed vicariously upon Jesus freeing us from it.

Crucified:  Crucified means rejected; handed over to the death of the cross inflicted by authority upon the guilty.  Without Christ, this is the righteous action of God on the human creature.  What befell Christ is what ought to befall us; Christ vicariously bore it for us freeing us from it.

Dead:  Without Christ, death is the end of all planning and striving; it is where all thoughts perish, Psalms 146:4.  Dying means exhausting the last of our power or efforts.  Without Christ, death is the last action that can happen in the creaturely existence.  But Christ has vicariously died for us freeing us from it and freeing us into unlimited possibilities.

Buried:  The greatest names of any generation or culture will be forgotten by later generations.  That is what being buried means.  Listen to the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:5.  “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing.  And they have no reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”  Without Christ, in the grave all humans fall into forgottenness; and that is the judgment on man.  That is God’s answer to sin:  Without Christ, there is nothing else to be done with sinful man, except to bury him and forget him.  But, Jesus was vicariously buried for us freeing us from forgottenness.  

Descended into hell:  Hades in the Old Testament sense is where man continues to exist only as a non-being, as a shadow…the dead can no longer praise God, they can no longer see His face…It is a state of exclusion from God.  In Jesus God comes vicariously in our place, descends into hell and takes our punishment upon Himself, freeing us from it. 

Reverend Todd Crouch

Brethren, this is all Good News.  And it only gets better because the good news does not end here with freedom from judgment, punishment, death and burial.  It goes even beyond the final resolution of sins.  He is risen.  That means that He takes us with Him into life eternal.  And that is Fantastic News.  Rev. Todd Crouch has pointed out how fantastic this news is in this very thought provoking and powerful statement.  “God loves us more than he loves Himself.”  Brethren, God died for our sins.  From all the evidence of the Bible, Rev. Crouch has spoken truthfully. 

CLOSING:  “Who is Jesus?  He is the legitimate faithful giver of grace; this Redeemer Savior God is man just as we; He is the one from whom all blessings flow.  And one of those blessings is freedom.  Who are we?  We are God’s very own children, members of His very own family. We are the legitimate receivers and objects of His outrageous faithfulness.  Our identity is firmly secure in who Christ is.  Love is the foundation of this relationship and freedom is its fruit.  What does freedom in Christ look like?  It is freedom to please Him; the freedom from destruction; the freedom unto undreamed possibilities in eternity with Him.  Brethren, we began this series with the motto of the Fountain of Life.  Let’s also close with it.  If it is not about Jesus, it is not about anything.  This is far more than a motto.  This is salvation.

 Benediction:  Dear brothers and sisters, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever.  God bless you all.

Rev. George Relic, Assistant Pastor (724-583-9217)

Fountain of Life Church

2021 Old National Pike, Washington, Pa 15301

A congregation of Grace Communion International