The schools have started and so it's time for the EmmDevs to resume! Hope you had a blessed Christmas, a good break and precious time with family and friends. Blessings for the new year everyone! May it be year in which we grow closer to Christ!
I'm going to continue the series on the Apostle's Creed (which I've included at the end).
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But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews2:9
"Suffered." Now there's a word that I wouldn't expect to find in the creed of any faith - especially not with God as the subject. When it comes to Creeds and God, we expect verbs like "Created", "Conquered", "Ruled" and "Reigned" - not a verb like "Suffered".
But this is the unexpected truth at the heart of our faith.
God stepped into humanity's mess as the "Word made Flesh" (which is what Christmas is all about) and then He endured the consequences of that "enfleshing" - He suffered death on the cross (which is Easter.)
The writer to the Hebrews is alluding to Psalm 8 when he talks about Jesus being made "a little lower than the angels" - this is the same status that God affords to humanity in Psalm 8 - and yet, according to the Psalm - God is "mindful of us" - So mindful, in fact that Jesus makes Himself a servant (Philippians 2:7), a "little lower than the angels."
Even His incarnation is suffering. He goes from omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence to the powerlessness, limitedness and helplessness of a baby. Then, instead of being surrounded by the worship of angels He is in the company of bickering and broken humanity. (Can you imagine how tough it was for Him to hear His disciples bicker about who was greatest when He was on His way to the cross?)
And then there's death on a cross - unspeakable suffering, shame, abandonment and torment. For me, and you, and then you, and then you, and then you...
It is one of the mysteries of the faith - that God would choose to suffer - for me it is a great comfort.
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You might want to consider printing Heb2:9 out and sticking it to your wall as one of your year-verses. I have. I'm determined to see Him clearly this year because when I see Him like this I _know_ that He is mindful of me.
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THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again:
he ascended into heaven.
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
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Theo Groeneveld theo @ emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at emmdev[dot]blogspot[dot]com/
