Do We Understand Jesus Christs Role

I want to ask you a question. How many of you would like to suffer in extreme pain and die under that suffering pain? Who would like to go through that? And let me ask you another question. If you know you are doomed to that, but you know there's going to be many, many years of waiting for that, how would you feel? And so my question today is, do we understand the role that Jesus Christ plays as far as the church is concerned? Obviously, he has many roles. He's our priest, he's our soon-coming king, he's got many roles. So, we are just focusing from the point of his relationship with the church as the head of the church. And today, I want to spend a little bit of time on that for us to understand a little bit of our individual roles as husbands and as wives in a family. So, let's start by turning to Ephesians 5, verse 22. Ephesians 5, verse 22. Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. How many times have we seen, particularly in some societies where there is more of this domineering approach, how many times do we see men turning to scriptures like this and pointing to the role of the wives? But you know, quite often people that do that forget to look at the verse before. Verse 21, because it says, submit to one another in the fear of God. And so, the question is, maybe an interesting question, is why does it say, to the men love your wives, and the focus in this instruction, to the men is love your wives, as you can see in verse 25, husbands love your wives, whilst to the wives it says, submit to your own husbands. Why is the focus to the husbands to love the wives, and the focus to the wives to submit? Does it mean that the wives don't have to love? Of course not. Just like it does not mean that husbands don't have to submit. But why is this different focus in the Bible?

So, let's go back a little bit. God has a wonderful plan for you and I. Initially, God the Father and the Word the Son planned to have many more members in their family.

In fact, they planned to have a family, because initially they went to family, but they planned to have a family. Well, it was a time when it says, today I've begotten you and you are my son. So, they decided to have a family and to have many more members in that family. And look at, seeing that we are in Ephesians, look at chapter 1 verse 4 and 5. And it says, starting in verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ or through Christ. Just as He chose us in Him, God has chosen us in Him in Christ before the foundation of the world. In other words, we have been, you and I, in the Hall of Mankind. It's not just you and I, the Hall of Mankind. Mankind has been predestined from the foundation of the world for a specific purpose, to be children of God. And for that, we need to be holy and without blame before Him, He was in front of Him, in genuine, outgoing love.

And then it continues, verse 5, having predestined us, He has predestined us to adoption. And the Greek word means to the placing of a sense. So maybe a better translation would be to sonship, as sons by Jesus Christ, to Himself. Here it was us, we are to be sons of God through Christ, to Himself, to God the Father. So we would be sons of God the Father through Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will. In other words, according to God's will.

That is the most, how should I put it, the most desirable thing by the Father, to have many children. And you know, some of you are parents, or grandparents, and you know what a joy it is to have children. And the Father wants to have children in His family. That is His most encompassing goal.

And the Father and the Word talked about it and decided that's what we want to have. We are beings of this type, of this kind of beings, God beings. And we want to have more of these. So for that, we're going to create a world with a vegetable kingdom, with an animal kingdom, with a human kingdom, with an angelic kingdom. And there is a whole plan of developing this so that these human beings in the human kingdom can be part of the God kingdom.

That is an amazing plan. And this has been the will of the Father. And to achieve this plan, they agreed that the Executive Director, let's put that in modern-day terminology, the one that would actually have the responsibility and accountability to do that, would be the Word who became Christ. And that's what we see, read for Jesus' YAH in Matthew 11. Matthew 11, verse 26. Matthew 11, verse 26. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. Part of this plan required a certain number of steps.

Like for instance, even this morning I was talking to Kathy and my wife, and we were discussing, how come the Jews were blind to Christ?

And I said, very simple, because if they knew who Christ was, they would never kill them, and therefore, you and I would not ever say to Him. Simple. They had to be blind. Otherwise, they would never kill Him. And you and I would not ever say to Him. So, not only had they to be blind, but Christ had to come in, let's call it in civilian clothes. It was not as with the glory of being in that God-kind, but as a human being, let's call it, emptying Himself of that glory as a civilian, as John the Citizen, that nobody recognized who He was.

So, in modern terms, it would be like in civilian clothes, so they didn't know who He was, and they killed Him. Why? So that we could have a savior.

And that's why it says, even so, Father, for so it seemed good to you. I mean, that it says, you know, these things people don't understand. That's what it says in the verse before, verse 25 of Matthew 11. And this God the Father, you architected this, and you saw this would make the plan possible. And to achieve that plan, Christ then says at the beginning of verse 27, all things have been, have been, not will be, have been. And Christ was still a human being at that time. So, have been delivered to Me. You know what? This whole plan was delegated to Christ as the Executive Director. The one that had to do this from A to Z. Indeed, from A to Z. Look at Revelation chapter 22. Revelation chapter 22. I mean, this verse, or this phrase, is mentioned in other parts of Revelation. But I'm specifically going to this, because in this verse, in Revelation 22 verse 15, we know for sure it's talking about Christ. So, I'm not using other verses where it says the same thing when some people say, oh no, no, no, that's talking about the Father. I'm going to specific this verse in verse 13, because it's undoubtedly talking about Jesus Christ Himself. And He says, I am the Alpha and the Omega. It was the A and the Z. It was the beginning and the end. It says the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In other words, the Father delegated the execution of this plan wholly from A to Z to Jesus Christ. The creation of the world, creation of the angels, the leading of the national Israelites of Egypt, everything to be the head of the church, to be the one that gave up His life, the one that will lead in the world tomorrow as King of Kings, so that once it's finished, it will say, once all is complete, it will say, I'll hand it over to the Father, mission accomplished. Wow! Mission accomplished! So, that's why we're reading John 1, verse 1 through 3. John chapter 1, verse 1 through 3. John chapter 1, verse 1 through 3. In the beginning was the Word. And you know, as if you read verse 14, and the Word became flesh, which is Christ. So, in the beginning was the Word. In the Word was Christ. And the Word Christ was with God, obviously, the Father. And the Word was God. It was Christ was God, was of the God kind. He Christ was in the beginning with God the Father. The two were together. And all things were made through Him, that's Jesus Christ, and without Him, Jesus Christ, nothing that was made was made. Everything. Everything was made by Christ. That means, obviously, the angels, the universe, and with one single purpose, to then create Adam and Eve. And so, they would procreate as a family, to start this whole family process, so that Christ then could come as a flesh into that family, and us could then be begotten again into the family of God. Now, imagine, imagine this. The Creator, indeed, Jesus Christ was the God Being under the authority and according to the will of the Father, that had the power, and He was our Creator. Yes, indeed, submissive and doing it according to the will of the Father, as we read in Matthew 11. He became flesh, knowing that He would have to suffer the most painful death, and He knew it since the foundation of the world. Therefore, the question I asked you, as a part of an introduction, that I said, what if you knew you had to suffer and die the most painful death, and you knew that for decades? Well, Christ knew that He had to do that, and He knew that for thousands of years, maybe even millions of years. You and I don't know when that beginning was.

And as it was read a little earlier on in the sermon, let's go to Philippians 2. Philippians 2.

Philippians 2.

Therefore, verse 1, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love that's outgoing concern, if any fellowship of God's Spirit, of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy being like-minded, do we have the same mind, the same attitude, the same feeling that Christ had that said, that said, I'm prepared to suffer and die for mankind so that they can be part of God's family.

Having the same love that's outgoing concern, being of one accord of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, each is steaming others better than himself. You heard in the sermon there, serving one another. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also in the interest of others. Let this mind, let this attitude, let the Spirit be in you, this attitude of mind, being you, which is also in Christ Jesus.

What was that attitude? That attitude was one that he was the creator, he was prepared to come to earth as a human being, to die for us, to be spat upon, to be criticized, to be run down, for what reason? So that you and I can be saved, so they can pay for our sins. And he did that before you and I were even born!

And that's what it says, verse 6, who being in the form of God. Think about this carefully. He was of the God-kind, he was in the form of God. He was not supreme above the Father, he was always under the Father. He says the Father is great in me, but he was always submissive to the Father, and the two were of one mind, of one accord, one in achieving this goal. Being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.

In other words, did not consider it to be identity theft, to be called God. If you go somewhere and you say, well, I'm George the Campus, they're going to say, well, you're doing identity theft. But Christ can say, I am God, that was not robbery, that was not identity theft, because he was God. But he made himself of no reputation. He emptied himself of that position. He walked away from that position of being God. And he became flesh, taking on the form of a servant in the likeness of man, of a human being.

And being found in appearance as a man, as I mentioned, without any glory, without people knowing that he was God, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point that he was prepared to die the most painful death, even the death of the cross, which they say, that's why they say it's excruciating pain. You know the word excruciating pain comes from the word crucifix cross. It's one of the most painful pains, excruciating pain that comes from the same root word. So he knew that he would have to go through this. Wow! Wow! Really? What is this love of God? What is this love of God? There's the love of the Father and the love of the Son.

The Father, you're reading John 3 16. You all know that very clearly. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Which one of you, if you only have one child, are prepared to give your only child to die for somebody else? And which one of you, as a child, is prepared to do it willingly and voluntarily? Because he emptied himself, as we read in Philippians.

He emptied himself. It doesn't say the Father is tracked into empty. He emptied himself. So, what is this love of God, the Father and the love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? He says that he's given us that we, to believe in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. And then he says, do we have the same mind in us? That's what we read in Philippians 2 verse 5. Do we have the same mind in us?

Are you, am I, able to do this for somebody else? That's a serious question. How did Jesus Christ do this for us? He did it for the Church of God, which ultimately, in time, every member will be part of the Church of God, or they'll get the Lake of Fire. In other words, they'll be part of the body of Christ, part of that family of God. How did Christ love the Church? He gave his life for us. Not only a physical life, like you and I said, okay, I'll give a physical life.

He gave his eternal life. He had eternity, the blessings of eternal life that you and I cannot even begin to fathom and comprehend. And he gave it up for us. He emptied himself. He emptied his life. And therefore I ask, do we have the same mindset?

Do you and I have the same mindset? Could I do it? I'll probably say no. I couldn't do it. Could you do it? I think maybe, if you're honest, you'll probably say, I don't think I could do it. But you know what? We have to do it.

How?

As husbands, through the marriage ceremony, we've got to do it to our wives. Because love your wives as Christ loves the church. That's what Ephesians 5, 25 says. Let's go back to it. Ephesians 5 verse 25. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for the church.

So what did Christ do? He loved the church. He humbled himself. He sacrificed himself. He suffered the most painful death and he gave his life for us. And an instruction is to husbands. Likewise, do that to your wives.

That's deep. That is deep. I must admit, I fail horribly. I'm far from the mark. I'm speaking to myself. We all fail from the mark, I think. We fail horribly. Look at verse 28. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. You see, because Christ did it to sanctify the church and we need to do the same thing.

And look at verse 29. For no one ever ate his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just that the Lord does the church. Because the church is, spiritually speaking, Christ's body. So he does it for his body, spiritually speaking. So we physically, we learn spiritual lessons through physical examples. We need to learn this to do it for our wives. Verse 31. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. To be one. And that's where people get confused about understanding God. Because, well, God is one. Well, you and your wife are supposed to be one. And the Hebrew word is the same, echad, to be one.

Now, you are a person and your wife is a different person but you still won. Well, we are aiming to be one. We are all learning and aiming to be one. We are all striving to be one.

And that's a great mystery. That is a great mystery. This is here in verse 32. For this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church. So, the example of the marriage relationship is to teach us a far greater spiritual principle about Christ and the church. And therefore, Christ being the head of the church, loves the church, His gracious kindness, outgoing concern for the church, does this. And then in return, you and I, as members of the church, what do we do? We want to obey, we want to submit to whatever Christ tells us to do. Therefore, the analogy of the example, men love your wives and women submit to your husbands. That's why it says submit to one another because in Christ, in Christ in fact is also submitting to us. We are working together. And therefore, how we have a wonderful physical example to explain to us a most critical and important spiritual principle. And therefore, when you and I demonstrate, albeit so badly, but when you and I as men demonstrate with our failings and our weaknesses, but we demonstrate a little bit of this love for our wives.

Just like Christ demonstrates this love towards us, what we as Christians want to do to Christ, we want to please Him. We want to respect Him. We want to submit to Him. The analogy goes the same way. The wives will only want to please you because they know, they will only want to respect you because they know that whatever you're going to do, you're doing it for their good.

Because you and I know that whatever Christ is doing it, He's doing it for our good.

That's why you and I want to submit to Jesus Christ and that's why the wives want to submit to their husbands because they want to, not because they have to. They want to. Why? Because the husband loves the wife. That means humbles himself, sacrifices, suffers, gives off his life in order of his time and resources to her.

Look how this attitude from God to us through Christ is so big. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9. It says, But as it is written, I have not seen, nor ye heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. You know what? God wants to give us so much that you can't even begin to comprehend it. You can't get it. I can't get it because it's beyond physical and human understanding. That's the big picture. Put it in other words. That is the grace of God. That is the graciousness. That is the outgoing concern. That is the love that God has towards us.

He just wants to give us beyond our imagination. If we love him, because of what he's done, we have to attribute with loving him as well. That means obeying him and submitting to him. That's our responsibility.

Look at Hebrews chapter 2 verse 9.

But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor. Yes, we see that. That's the sacrifice. That's what he's done for us. By the grace of God, by the goodness, by the kindness, by the love of God towards us, so that he might taste death for us, for everyone. Christ and the Father have got this plan, because they want to give us everything. And I have not seen, here has heard, what they want to give us. It will boggle your mind when you will receive this glory and this reward. Beyond every and any human suffering that you're going through now.

It just will boggle your mind. Look at Romans chapter 5 verse 21. Romans chapter 5 verse 21.

So that a sin-reigning death, even so grace, might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Through the grace of God, you and I have access to eternal life. And you know what? It's not going to be an eternal life with backaches or with arthritis pains or big grains. None of that. It will be an eternal life with zero pain and complete joy.

Not tired, full of energy.

I have not seen, here has not heard, what has God prepared for us. And you and I have to believe that this is God's loving-kindness. In Hebrew there's a word called chaset. If I remember, maybe I don't say it properly. But it means loving-kindness, which is time and time again appears in Old Testament. The loving-kindness of God in a sense is similar to the grace of God towards us. It's His genuine loving-kindness and concern and love towards us. He wants to give us of everything, starting with eternal life and even further beyond. Look at what we in Romans, look at chapter 6 and starting through verse 6 it says, you know, we are an old man, we got a crucified old man, we put away sin, and we have been bought by Christ's sacrifice to now serve a different master, God. We are now slaves of God, not slaves of sin. Or is that bad? No, because He only wants to give you what is good. And therefore, we submit to Him and therein is the example of the wife submitting to the husband, teaching us these loving relationships between a good, healthy husband-wife relationship, where there is this love and complete submission and the two becoming one flesh, like God wants us to be within, to be one.

This is just an amazing plan that God has for us. And that's why it says, we are to live by every word of God. We are saved by His grace. Does it mean therefore, because of grace, because of His goodness and kindness towards us, we sin more? No! Romans 6, verse 1 and 2 says, What shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, that God's goodness, loving, kindness may abound in us more abundantly? Of course not! That's ridiculous! That's ridiculous! And that's what this world says, well, you grace or law? Pray, friend, the law of God is the law of love.

Is the law for a sound, healthy, good relationship? Is an expression of love. God is love, the law is love. It's this expression of love towards somebody else, love towards God and love towards your neighbor. So, it's not grace or the law, it's power. Because the law is part of God's grace. The law is a gift from God for it to be peace and harmony and love on the earth.

Look at Titus chapter 2.

Verse 11 through 14. For the grace of God that brings salvation as a pure, tall man.

Teaching us that deny ungodliness and worthy lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, godly, in a present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people. Zealous for good words.

Therefore, we have to obey Him. We have to be zealous for good words. Is that bad? No. And there is the analogy again between husband and wife. There is this love from God, this grace from God, that loving kindness from God, and our retribution, we love Him back in genuine obedience. And that's for our good. That's for our good.

So, that's why it says elsewhere, be you perfect like I am perfect. And this is what we need to aim to be perfect. How? By Christ living in us. How? By us imitating the same mindset of Christ as we read in Philippians. Let this mind be in you. And that's exactly what we read in John 14 verse 23. Turn with me to John 14, 23. John 14 verse 23. And Jesus also then said to him, If anyone loves me, he'll keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we, and we. That means the Father and Jesus Christ, plural, we, will come to Him and make our home in that person.

How? Because we're thinking like He thinks. So, both the Father and Christ are in us because we're thinking like they think. We are one. Just like you, husbands, and you, wives, are together are one because you are aiming to the same goal and you're working together as a closed unit, one flesh, and you're thinking the same way. Quite often. I don't know if this happened to you, but I'm thinking something and I'm going to start talking to my wife. And she says, I'll say exactly the same thing. Why? Yes, it's not that she's inside me and I'm inside her, but we are one. That's what we need to aim at. So we think the same way. Christ and the Father are living in us, not they. You know, taking control of our minds, but because we are submitting to that one Spirit, that one Mindset, and God's power. And that is beautiful, brethren. And you know what? You know about people when they die in this world today. You have a thing called a will, or like the lost will, right? Your lost will. You've heard that, you know, and then you read what's your lost will. I would say that John 17 is Christ's lost will. In other words, it's His final prayer in front of the disciples that is fully recorded. And His lost prayer is voicing His will to the Father. And towards the end of that prayer, He says in John 17 verse 20, I do not pray for these alone. In other words, my will that I'm praying for, is not just for these apostles that are gathered together, but also for those who believe in me through their word. In other words, He's praying for you and I that we believe in Christ because of what we got in the Bible through the apostles' word and Christ's word in the Bible. Verse 21, that day may be one. In other words, that you and I as all may be one. It does not mean that you cease to be a person or the person next to you ceases to be a person, but that we may be one with one mind and one goal and one desire. Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that day may be one in us. That world may believe that you sent me. Why does it say that the world may believe that you sent me? You know, that they may be one, like we are one. So what is the connection of saying that they may believe that you sent me? Because Jesus Christ was sent to suffer and die for us to be one flesh, to be one like husband and wife, or to be one flesh. So when we believe in this unity of love, of dying for one another, of serving one another, of being, as we are in the sermon, at being a servant, that's what it is. That the world may believe that you sent me. Why? So the world may understand the meaning, the depth of this love. And the glory that you gave me, I've given them, that they may be one just as we, that's the Father and Jesus Christ, are one. Not one person, but they are one of one mind, and we are to be one with them. I in them and you in me, that they may be perfect in one or in unity. So, brethren, you and I have to be one with our spouses.

If we learn from the example of Christ, we're going to learn different principles. We're going to learn that we have to love our spouses. Husbands need to love the wives, and the wives are to submit to the husbands, because there is this bond of love working together. So as husbands, we have to be kind and caring for them, because we want our wives good. And as we see, for instance, in scriptures like 1 Peter 3, let's look at that, 1 Peter 3, 1 Peter 3, verse 7, Husbands likewise dwell with them, that's with your wife, with understanding, give honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel. Brethren, weaker vessel does not mean inferior vessel. It's two different words. You know, I have, or we have, and you probably have, different tea pots. Do you have tea pots at home? Or maybe coffee pots, but you have some, say you have a tea pot, and you have some which are kind of everyday tea pots, and you got some that you are what you call China tea pots, and use them for special occasions. And the China tea pot is more fragile, and you got to take care of it with greater care. Is the China tea pot inferior to the other tea pot? No, but it's weaker. It's more special.

And so when we treat our wives as the weaker vessel, it's not because they're inferior, but because they're special for us, made special by God for us. So it's not a case of inferiority. Let's continue reading. And as being heirs together of the grace of life. You know what? Not that you, man, are going to get a bigger inheritance than you, woman. Or you, woman, are going to get a bigger inheritance than man. You get an inheritance together. You are equal before God. Yes, you have different roles. I have not tried, but I could try as hard as I could, and I'll never be able to breastfeed my children.

I have a different role. And so on. God made us with different roles. And that was his decision. He places every member in the body according to his will. Does it mean I'm inferior? No. Just because I can't breastfeed the child. Does it mean that you're inferior because you can't breastfeed the child? No. We have different roles.

But spiritually, we have the same potential. And you know what? I always used to say, a minister told me long ago, and he said, you know, you see that little widow out there in the corner? She may have a bigger reward than some of the top ministers in the church. A little widow out there in the corner, probably being closer to God than many visible, powerful preachers.

Because God looks a different way. So it doesn't matter because a man's got this role and a woman's got a different role. That is God's decision. And yes, I know in the past mankind has done many things wrong that has never been God's wish. And the thing about this book is it openly shows mankind's sins. How men have treated women badly, it's embarrassing to mankind. But ultimately, we'll all be regarded as it says, Yah, hairs together of the grace of the goodness of the loving-kindness that God has for us of life eternal. And man, if you don't do this, what does it say? Your prayers will be hindered.

God is not going to listen to your prayers, man. So, this is a powerful scripture for us to think as man. I mean, you know a scripture that says that Christ God knows all the hairs in your head. Right? Now, do you know all the needs of your wife? That's the example that we can gather from that. Look at Colossians chapter 3 verse 19. Colossians chapter 3 verse 19. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Don't irritate your wife. Don't be bitter toward them. Don't treat her sharply.

Don't speak to her in a hard man way. Likewise, verse 18, wives, submit your husbands as it's fitting in the Lord. Why? Because you being such a nice husband, what else would they want to do but do that to you because that's for to be one. Brethren, there is a lovely prophet at the end of the Book of Proverbs that talks about the virtuous woman. And let's turn there to Proverbs 31. Now, it's easy to say, oh, this is what the woman needs to do. But have you ever considered that behind a virtuous woman there's a virtuous man? That woman is virtuous because a husband is supporting her, encouraging her, and giving her praise so that she can continue doing, not putting it down, when she wants to do something. Oh, you can't do that. When she wants to have a little business or whatever. Oh, you can't do that. Behind a virtuous wife there's a virtuous husband. And look at verse 28. Her children rise up and call her blessed, and her husband also, he praises her. How often do we praise our wives?

If she doesn't hear it from you, she's going to be discouraged. Are we applauding it? Are we encouraging it? Are we showing her that we appreciate her ideas and thoughts? That we want her opinion? Or we're going to do it because it's my way. My way or the highway? No, it's our way. We work together. We are one flesh. You walk with her, you talk with her, you share the thoughts. Your wife needs to know that you love her unconditionally. And that is the most important thing to be. Patented to be. Massage her shoulders if her shoulders are sore. Just help her, whatever, comfort her. Do little sacrifices for her. Do we understand therefore, Christ's role as false the church?

Men? Do we understand? Ladies? Do we understand? Because God is both ways. I'm not just speaking down to the man, but to both. We both have a role to play. We both need to... men need to love. As God loves us, we need to be kind and encouraging.

Likewise, we need to return to God with loving Him and respect because of what Christ has done for us. Our wives need to do the same thing because they know that we are doing it for the ungood. Because we're working together. Brethren, how beautiful God's plan is. Isn't it beautiful? And therefore, it is so critically important for us to understand Jesus Christ's role as far as love towards the church and how we, the church, need to return it to Him. And as we apply that to the marriage, we become better servants of God, as we heard in the sermon at. And therefore, we become better disciples of Jesus Christ.