Dear Pastor Jackson,
The
apostles received great comfort being with Jesus. The first thing I
thought of this morning was the apostle John leaning on Jesus chest. How
wonderful and comforting to picture our Lord Christ letting a big burly
strong fisherman named John lean his head and shoulders on Jesus chest
like a little child.
"That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and
show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was
manifested unto us;) 1 John 1:2-2
All of the
apostles are eye witnesses that Jesus is true God and true man in one
person. True God from the beginning. True God, one with God the Father
and God the Holy Ghost from all eternity. True man born of the virgin
Mary.
Notice how this passage is infallible
eyewitness proof that Jesus is true God from all eternity and also true
man born of the virgin Mary. The ears, eyes, and hands of all the
apostles invincibly prove Jesus is true God and true man in one person
who took all our sins upon Himself, was crucified, dead, buried, and
rose from the dead for us.
Notice how closely
and carefully all of the apostles "looked upon" Jesus. They saw Jesus
with their own eyes and also carefully "looked upon" Jesus, noticing
every characteristic of Christ our Lord.
Christ
encouraged all of the apostles to hold onto his hands and his feet
after His resurrection. He wanted them to grab hold of Him. The apostle
John gives us special comfort by leaning on Jesus chest, invincibly
proving Christ is true God and true man in one person for us sinners.
"Why
are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my
hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Luke 24:38,39
God
our heavenly Father laid all our sins on Jesus His only begotten Son.
Here is the ultimate and enduring comfort for our souls: that Christ
wrapped Himself in our sins and even claims our sins and our guilt as
His own. Psalm 40, 41 and 69 is the Holy Ghost speaking in the person of
Christ, claiming our sins and guilt as His own.
"For
innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken
hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the
hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me." Psalm 40:12
"I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee." Psalm 41:4
"And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever." Psalm 41:12
"O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee." Psalm 69:5
Christ
never lost His innocence while he claimed all our sins and guilt as His
own. Notice Psalm 41:12 shows Christ is always sinless while He is
claiming our sins and guilt as His own.
"And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever." Psalm 41:12
Psalm
40:7-8 is God the Holy Ghost speaking in the person of Christ. Here we
see Christ keeping the law for us while claiming our sins and guilt as
His own.
"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the
volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my
God: yea, thy law is within my heart." Psalm 40:7,8
Luther explains this in his lectures on Galatians:
"Isaiah
53:6 speaks the same way about Christ. It says: 'God has laid on Him
the iniquities of us all.' These words must not be diluted but must be
left in their precise and serious sense. For God is not joking in the
words of the prophet; He is speaking seriously and out of great love,
namely, that this Lamb of God, Christ, should bear the iniquity of us
all. But what does it mean to 'bear'? The sophists reply: 'To be
punished.' Good. But why is Christ punished? Is it not because He has
sin and bears sin? That Christ has sin is the testimony of the Holy
Spirit in the Psalms. Thus in Psalm 40:12 we read: mine iniquities have
taken hold upon Me' ; in Psalm 41:4: 'I said, LORD, be merciful unto me:
heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee' ; and in Psalm 69:5: O
God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.'"
In these Psalms the Holy Spirit is speaking in the Person of Christ and
testifying in clear words that He has sinned or has sins. These
testimonies of the Psalms are not the words of an innocent one; they are
the words of the suffering Christ, who undertook to bear the person of
all sinners and therefore was made guilty of the sins of the entire
world." (Martin Luther; LW; CPH; Vol. 26; pgs. 278-279 ISBN
0-570-06426-0)
"For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God
in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
"All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6
In Christ,
Tom Fisher
