Table Notes: 1-24-12

The Table 1-24-12

Who is God? God the Son, Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1-3

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

God is Father and because of his tremendous love he comes to us in the Person of Jesus – the Son of God.

 

He has spoken to us by his Son

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory

 

We are also told in John 1 that Jesus is the Word of God.

In other words, he tells us/shows us by his life, what God is like.

So if you ever wonder what God is like – Look to Jesus.

 

Why did God come in this way?

Why the “incarnation”?

Why the Father and Son?

 

As we seek to understand more clearly, we look to Scripture and particularly we can look to Philippians 2

Philippians 2:1-11

This song (or a variation of it) was likely sung by early Christians as their way of expressing and affirming their belief in who Jesus was and is.

• Not only did was it their expression of what they believed, but it also helped to shape their belief

 

In this passage, we discover core truths that help us understand who God is.

 

Breaking it down:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

 

• Jesus is God
• Did not hold on to this power in a selfish way, for his own benefit
• Chose humility – became human
  • Why?
    • It is in God’s very nature to love and give of himself

 

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

 

• Jesus was a real human being – the Word made flesh as John 1 says
• It wasn’t enough just to become a man
• He had to humble himself all the way to death – He was at the top, but willingly went to the bottom
  • Why?
    • Because of the debt that humankind owed – death because of sin

• Jesus – the Perfect God in human flesh, was the only suitable sacrifice
• We needed something much more than just someone giving us good teaching, we needed to be redeemed and reconciled and that had a cost – death.

 

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

 

• Because of Jesus’ obedience to the will of the Father, because of his humility, he was exalted to the highest place – his rightful place.
• God opposes the proud, but exalts the humble.
• Jesus overcame death and is now at his rightful place.
• All of this brings glory to God the Father.

 

What does this tell us about who God the Son is?

What does this mean for us?

Look to the beginning of this passage…

• • “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”
  • Jesus shows us that it is in God’s very nature to think of others, to be willing to humble our self for the sake of others, to have such love that we don’t hold onto our pride or our reputation or our status, but that we freely give those things up for others so that God will be glorified.
  • This is the attitude, the mindset that God wants his people to have
  • He is recreating us, his people who have chosen to follow Christ, into his image – and we see in the person of Jesus (who is the perfect image of God) that a central part of God’s nature is self-sacrifice and outgoing-love.

 

To the Table…

At the table, where we gather to receive communion, we are reminded clearly of this self-sacrifice and love.

In the bread, we are reminded that Jesus “took the form of humanlikeness”

In the cup, we are reminded that Jesus “was obedient to death on a cross”

 

In these simple ordinary elements of bread and juice, that are re-created into holy reminders, we are again reminded that God is re-creating US according to his perfect image.