The Life and Work of Jesus Christ
The Name Above All Names - Jesus!
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippans 2:2-11
The eternal Christ
In tracing the lineage of Jesus Matthew traces Him back to Abraham, (Matt. 1:1-3), Luke to Adam, (Luke 3:23-25), and John to God. (John 1:1-2.) Jesus said of Himself "I am 'Alpha' and 'Omega.' the 'BEGINNING' and the 'ENDING, ' the 'FIRST' and the 'LAST, ' which IS, and which WAS, and which is TO COME, the ALMIGHTY." Rev. 1:8, Rev. 1:11. Jesus thus identifies Himself with God, and confirms His earthly statement-"I and my Father are ONE." John 10:30. John tells us (John 1:14) that-"THE WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His GLORY (on the Mount of Transfiguration), the GLORY as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER." And in His prayer in the "upper room" before going out to Gethsemane Jesus prayed, "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with Thine own self with the GLORY which I had with Thee BEFORE THE WORLD WAS." John 17:5. Thus we see that Jesus existed before the World was and is the ETERNAL CHRIST.
The Word becomes flesh
"In the Beginning was the 'WORD' and the 'WORD' was with God, and the 'WORD' WAS GOD. The same was in the Beginning with God. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. This is corroborated by Paul in Col. 1:16-17:
"For BY HIM were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; ALL THINGS were created BY HIM, and FOR HIM; and He is BEFORE ALL THINGS, and BY HIM all things consist."
While all things were made by Christ, He was aided by the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is clearly revealed in Gen. 1:26, where it says-"And God (the Divine Three) said, Let US make man in OUR IMAGE, after OUR likeness." The work of the Father was the creation of matter, that of the Son, the formation of matter into all its various forms, and that of the Holy Spirit to give LIFE to such forms as have life. Christ's work in Creation is beautifully described in Isa. 40:12: "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance."
Job, the oldest book in the Bible, is particularly rich in its account Of the Creative Work of Christ. See the 38th and 39th chapters of job. We have a beautiful illustration of Christ's Creative Power in the miracle of making wine out of water. John 2:1-3. In that miracle He produced from water without the natural process of the vine, WINE, and thus manifested His Creative Glory.
The work of Christ from creation to incarnation
With the Creation of Man the "Creative Work" of Christ ceased, for we read in Gen. 2:2, that-"On the Seventh Day God ended His Work which He had made; and, He rested on the Seventh Day." From that time His work has been that of "Supervision" and "Redemption." In Gen. 2:4 we find the word God changed to "LORD God." Why is this? The Hebrew name for God as "Creator" is ELOHIM, as "Revealer" it is JEHOVAH, translated "LORD." The name "God" is used over 6000 times in the Old Testament, and when in the Authorized Version we find the word "God" or "Lord" printed in small capitals, the original is JEHOVAH. In the first part of the Book of Genesis four names are given, each of which reveals some distinct attribute of God. They are God (Elohim), LORD (Jehovah), God Almighty (El Shaddai), and Most High (El Elyon). They are all used in Psa. 91:1-2.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust." JEHOVAH has seven compound names that reveal Him as meeting every need of man.
1. JEHOVAH-JIREH-"The Lord will provide." Gen. 22:13-14. That is, provide a sacrifice.
2. JEHOVAH-RAPHA-"The Lord that healeth." Ex. 15:26.
3. JEHOVAH-NISSI-"The Lord our Banner." Ex. 17:8-10.
4. JEHOVAH-SHALOM-"The Lord our peace." Judg. 6:23-24.
5. JFHOVAH-RA-AH-"The Lord my Shepherd." Psa. 23.
6. JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU-"The Lord our righteousness." Jer. 23: 6.
7. JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH-"The Lord is present." Ez. 48:35.
It is therefore only as we know the meaning of the different titles of God that we can understand their significance. The word for Christ as "Creator" is "ELOHIM, " for Christ as "Revealer and Redeemer" is Jehovah (translated LORD). As "Creator" (Elohim) Christ is revealed in His Covenant Relationship to man, as "Revealer and Redeemer" (Jehovah). He is revealed not only as a God of Love, but righteous and just, and who will punish evil. The use of the words separately or together will reveal their significance. In the Old Testament Dispensations Christ is called either "Elohim, " or "Jehovah, " or "Jehovah-Elohim" (LORD God), according to whether He is referred to as "Creator" or "Preserver, " that is Revealer or Redeemer. With this in mind let us now trace Christ's work from Creation to His Incarnation. It was the "LORD God" or Christ that planted the Garden eastward in Eden, and placed Adam and Eve in it, and instructed them what, and what not to do. It was Christ who came to them in the cool of the evening charging them with disobedience, and gave them the promise that the Seed of Woman should bruise the Serpent's head, and it was Christ who drove the m from the Garden.
Gen. 3:8-10. It was Christ who charged Cain with killing his brother Abel. Gen. 4:9.It was Christ who warned Noah of the Flood, and told him to build the ark. Gen. 6:1-3. It was christ who called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees and directed him to Canaan. Gen. 12:1-3. It was Christ who appeared with two angels at Abraham's tent door and foretold the birth of Isaac, and the destruction of the Cities of the Plain, Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 18:1-3. It was Christ who wrestled with Jacob at the ford Jabbok. Gen. 32:24-26. It was Christ who appeared to Moses at the Burning Bush in the Wilderness. When Moses asked the "Angel of the LORD" His name, lie replied-"I AM THAT I AM" and added-"Say unto the Children of Israel 'I AM' hath sent me to you. 11 Ex. 3:13-14. The "I AM " of the Burning Bush is the "I AM" of the New Testament, who said-"I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life." It was Christ who sent the Plagues on the Egyptians, who commanded the slaying of the Passover Lamb, a type of Himself, Ex. 12:1-3, and who opened the Red Sea for the Children of Israel to cross over. It was Christ who fed Israel in the Wilderness with manna and quails. Ex. 16:1-3. It was Christ who gave the "Ten Commandments" from Mt. Sinai, (Ex. 20:1-3), and who appeared in the Shekinah glory of the Tabernacle and Temple of Solomon, and who in the "Pillar of Cloud and Fire, " led the Children of Israel throughout their Wilderness Wandering. Ex. 13:21-22.
It was Christ, who as "Captain of the Lord's Host" (Josh. 5:13-15), opened the River Jordan that Israel might cross over, and helped them in the siege of Jericho and the conquest of the land. It was Christ who called for the judges in the Days following Joshua, and commissioned them to fight for Israel. He was with Gideon, Samson and Samuel. It was Christ who chose Saul the first king of Israel, (1Sam. 9:15-17), and blessed him until his disobedience compelled Christ to choose David in his place. 1Sam. 16:1-3. It was Christ who called the prophets and fitted them for their work. It was a vision of Christ that Isaiah saw in the Temple in the year that King Uzziah died, and before whose glory Isaiah saw himself to be a man of unclean lips. Isa. 6:1-3. It was Christ who, in answer to Daniel's prayer as to the expiration of the "Seventy Years of Captivity, " sent the Angel Gabriel, and revealed to Daniel the exact date of His (Christ's) death on the Cross, in the Vision of the "SEVENTY WEEKS." Dan. 9:1-3. From all these references we see how active Christ was from Creation until His Incarnation in supervising the affairs of men, particularly those of His own chosen people Israel.
Christ's present life and work
Christ's present work is that of a High Priest. He is now "TARRYING WITHIN THE VAIL." As the High Priest entered through the "veil" into the "Most Holy Place" once a year , on the "Day of Atonement, " to present the blood of the sacrifice and make a intercession for the SINS of the people, so Jesus entered into the "Holy of Holies" of the Heavenly Tabernacle when He ascended and passed through the "Veil of the Cloud" and disappeared from earthly view. Acts 1:9. Heb. 4:14. "For Christ is not entered into the Holy Places made with hands (such as the Tabernacle or Temple), which are the figures of the true; but INTO HEAVEN ITSELF now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. 9:24. Heaven, not earth, is the sphere of Christ's PRIESTLY Ministry. He never appeared as a Priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. He went there to teach, but never to offer sacrifices or burn incense.
The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Tabernacle and Temple services did not make the offerers perfect, or they would not have ceased to be offered. They were but SHADOWS or Types of things to come. Heb. 10:1-3. Among them was the "Day of Atonement." On that day the High Priest entered alone into the Holy Place, and having divested himself of his garments of "Glory and Beauty, " he washed himself, and arrayed himself in linen clothes with a linen Mitre upon his head. He then filled a Censer with burning coals from off the Incense Altar and entered through the "Veil" into the "Most Holy Place, " and putting incense upon the coals of the Censer, so that the smoke would cover the "Mercy Seat" on the "Ark of the Covenant" and hide it from view lest he die, he withdrew from the "Most Holy Place" and passed out into the Court of the Tabernacle, where he slew a bullock for a "Sin Offering" for himself and his house, and taking of its blood he re-entered the Tabernacle and passing through the "Veil" he sprinkled with his finger of the blood seven times eastward before the "Mercy Seat, " thus making Atonement for himself and his household.
He then returned to the Court of the Tabernacle and slew the goat that had been selected by lot for the "Sin Offering, " and took of its blood and re-entered for the third time the "Most Holy Place, " and did with its blood as he had done with the blood of his bullock, thus making Atonement for the sins of the Congregation. He then returned to the Court, and going to the "Brazen Altar" he made Atonement for it by sprinkling of the mixed blood of the bullock and goat upon it with his finger seven times, after he bad first anointed the Horns of the Altar with the blood. He then took the live goat, called the "Scapegoat, " and laying both of his hands upon its head, he confessed the sins of the Children of Israel, thus placing them upon the head of the "Scapegoat, " and then he sent it by a "fit man" into the wilderness, into a land uninhabited, where it was left, thus carrying away the iniquities of the people.
This was taken from Clarence Larkin's 'Dispensational Truth', chapter 7
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