The Likeness of Sinful Flesh

"By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh..."  -Romans 8:3b

It is an astonishing truth that God Himself would condescend and come to earth to rescue His fallen creation.  That fact alone should amaze and enthrall our hearts, while also confounding our minds.  Why would the God of the universe even care?  Especially given the fact that man had rebelled against Him so thoroughly.  Why wouldn't He just wipe out creation and do something different?  He is certainly able to do that, and would be just to do so.  But this King would come to earth to save, in the person of Jesus Christ.  How amazing is that?!

But now take it a step further.  How did Jesus come?  To what estate did He condescend?  He, by whom and for whom all things were created, who holds all things together (Colossians 1:16-17), who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3), made Himself nothing.  He took the form of a servant!  He was born in the likeness of sinful flesh.  How great is His mercy?

Please take note that He was born in the likeness of sinful flesh.  That is, He indeed was a man.  He had a real body, just like you and me.  He knew what it was to experience hunger and thirst, pain and sadness.  He was subjected to all of the physical frailties that we face while walking this earth.  Except for one.  He had no sin.  Because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born free from sin (contrast with statements about humanity being sinful from birth in Psalm 51:5 and Ephesians 2:3).  He was like us in every way, yet without sin.  Jesus perfectly obeyed His Father, perfectly sought His Father's glory, perfectly walked in this world every day of His life on earth.  In other words, He was everything we are not. 

And that is precisely why it is such good news that He came in the likeness of sinful flesh!   Because He was fully man, Jesus is able to be our representative.  Just as Adam became our representative in the garden, and all who stand before God apart from Christ will be judged in Adam (that is, according to our sinful flesh), Christ came to be the representative of all who have faith in His finished work. All who stand before God through faith in Christ will be judged with the judgment God has for His Son Jesus.  Because Jesus was perfectly righteous while in the likeness of sinful flesh, we too will be reckoned as perfectly righteous!  Because Jesus atoned for sin on the cross though He had none, we who are thoroughly sinful will be seen as though we had none! Because Jesus was raised from the dead and is seated in heavenly glory, we will share in all that is His forever!  And while we remain on this earth, we find great comfort in knowing that our Savior is familiar with our weaknesses and temptations, yet was without sin.  Therefore we can draw near to Him as a merciful and faithful High Priest, who interecedes for us before the Father.  As to a Brother who is a very present help in our time of need, who will not turn us away when our weakness is exposed.  Praise God for a Savior who came in the likeness of sinful flesh! 

"For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.  For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers...Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.  For surely it is not the angels that He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham.  Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted."  -Hebrews 2:10-11,14-18