Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Our Father in heaven, we thank
You for the privilege of being
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here today to study Your
Holy Word; to study about
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the ladder and the tower.
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We ask that Your Holy
Spirit will teach us the lessons
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which will help us in
our personal walk with Jesus.
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And we thank You for hearing
our prayer, for we ask it in
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Jesus' name, Amen.
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I'd like to invite you to open
your Bibles with me to the book
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of Genesis, chapter 28, and we
will begin reading at verse 10.
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However, before we start
reading, I need to give you
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a little bit of
background; the background to
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this particular passage.
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We probably all know the story
of Jacob, and how Jacob lied
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to his father, deceived his
father, stole the birthright
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from his brother, and as
a result of this he had to
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flee from his home.
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The Bible tells us that as he
was fleeing from home, he felt a
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deep burden of guilt, because of
the sin that he had committed.
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And after traveling for
many, many hours, Jacob arrived
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in a place which later
would be called Bethel,
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which means the house of God.
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And this is where I want to pick
up our reading in Genesis 28:10.
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And then it continues saying:
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Very interesting dream
that God gave to Jacob.
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This has become known as
the story of Jacob's ladder,
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which is certainly a misnomer,
because this is not Jacob's
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ladder, this is
the Lord's ladder.
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It's kind of like
saying Noah's flood.
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You know, it wasn't Noah's
flood, it was the Lord's flood.
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And so, really, this
is the Lord's ladder.
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Now the question is, what
does this dream symbolize?
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You see, every story in
Genesis is not only a story
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but a prophecy. And so this
story must have some prophetic
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significance. And
the question is, what is
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its prophetic significance?
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You notice you have a ladder.
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The top of the ladder
reaches unto the highest heaven.
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The bottom of the ladder
is firmly rooted on earth.
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And between the two points
there are angels ascending
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and descending upon the ladder.
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What could be
meant by this dream?
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Well, the fact is that
we don't have to guess.
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Turn in your Bibles with
me to the gospel of John 1:51,
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the gospel of John 1:51.
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Here Jesus is speaking to
Nathaniel, who would become
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one of the disciples of Jesus.
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And notice what he says:
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Isn't that an interesting verse?
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You will see the angels of
God ascending and descending
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upon the Son of man.
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Now if they're ascending and
descending upon the Son of man,
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what must the ladder
of Genesis 28 represent?
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It must represent Jesus, because
in Genesis 28 the angels are
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ascending and
descending upon the ladder.
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In John 1 it says that
they're ascending and descending
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upon the Son of man; upon Jesus.
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In other words,
Jesus is that ladder.
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Now if I were to
ask you how many key
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parts does a ladder have?
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Probably many of
you would answer three:
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the bottom, the
top, and the middle.
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But really a ladder has
only two key parts: the bottom,
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and the top, and, of
course, the middle is automatic
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if you have the
bottom and the top.
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Now why would Jesus be
compared with a ladder?
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Well, let's talk a
little bit about this.
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What would the top
of the ladder represent
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if the ladder represents Jesus?
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Well, turn with me in
your Bibles to John 1:1, 3.
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We almost don't even
have to look up those verses.
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It says there in John 1:1, 3:
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And then verse 3 says
that He made all things...
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Notice that these
verses describe Jesus before
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He came to this world.
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Jesus, according to John 1,
before He became man, was God.
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He was the Creator.
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Now I also want you to notice
Matthew 1:23, Matthew 1:23.
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This is speaking
about the birth of Christ.
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And the angel speaks
these words which are very
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well known, incidentally, by us.
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These two verses
clearly teach that Jesus is God.
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That is the top of the ladder.
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It represents the deity of
Jesus, the divinity of Christ.
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He is one with God.
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In the beginning He
was with the Father;
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equal with the Father.
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In fact, Jesus said, I
and the Father are One;
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that is in unity, in
character, and in purpose.
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So the top of the
ladder represents the deity,
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or the divinity of Jesus Christ.
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But now we must ask, what
does the bottom represent?
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Now the top reached all the
way to heaven where the Father
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was standing at
the top of the ladder.
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What would the bottom
represent if it's rooted
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firmly upon the earth?
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It must represent the humanity
of Jesus, the manhood of Christ.
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Notice what we find in John 1:
14, also a verse which is very,
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very well known. We probably
could recite it from memory.
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It says there in John 1:14:
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That is the Word who was God.
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Now you notice that
Word, who was God, in eternity,
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who created this world; John
tells us that He became flesh.
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In other words, He
became a human being.
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He was rooted on this earth
with a nature which is common
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to ours. Notice also
what we find in Matthew 1:1,
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on the humanity of Christ,
the bottom of the ladder;
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His manhood, if we
could speak in those terms.
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It says there in Matthew 1:1,
the beginning of the genealogy
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of Christ. It says:
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So we notice here that
Jesus has two characteristics
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when it comes to His self
identity, and that is that Jesus
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in eternity was God, and He
came to earth and He became man
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without ceasing to be God.
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The top of the ladder is
His deity, and the bottom
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of the ladder
represents his humanity.
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His divinity unites
Him with His Father,
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His humanity unites Him with us.
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Thus heaven and earth are
united through the God man.
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You know, there are texts
in scripture that indicate
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that Jesus is both God
and man besides the ones
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that we just read.
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For example, in Revelation 22:16
Jesus says that He has sent
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His angel to
testify unto them the things
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which were
written to the churches.
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And then He goes on to
say that He is the root
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and the offspring of David.
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Now I've mentioned
this in a previous lecture,
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but this is an
extremely interesting verse,
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because it says that
Jesus is the root of David,
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and He is also the
offspring of David.
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Now how is it possible
to be the root of David,
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and the offspring of David?
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The fact is that
Jesus is David's father,
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and He is also David's son.
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He is David's father,
because when He created Adam,
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and David descended from Adam,
David was created by Christ.
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But Jesus is the son of David
as a man, because He comes from
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the lineage of David.
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Notice also John
8:58, John 8: 58.
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You know Jesus said something
very revolutionary to the Jews
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who were listening to Him.
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You know, we just read in
Matthew 1 that Jesus was the son
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of Abraham, and
the son of David.
00:13:05.71\00:13:07.95
So, in other words,
Jesus was the son of Abraham.
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But in John 8:58 Jesus
said something revolutionary,
00:13:10.45\00:13:15.48
and it made the Jews very angry.
00:13:15.51\00:13:17.08
They picked up
stones to throw them at Him
00:13:17.11\00:13:19.18
after He said
these words. He said:
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Now notice, He doesn't
say, before Abraham was I was,
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He says, before
Abraham was I Am.
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In other words, I
never had a beginning.
00:13:36.94\00:13:39.52
So once again we find that
Jesus is the seed of Abraham,
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He's the son of
Abraham, but He says that before
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Abraham was, I Am.
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That means that
Jesus is both God and man.
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The top of the ladder is
His deity, and the bottom of
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the ladder is His humanity,
and those two characteristics
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unite God with man.
00:14:01.33\00:14:04.03
Notice also in the
book of Philippians 2.
00:14:04.06\00:14:08.24
Here the apostle Paul is
going to weigh in on this
00:14:08.27\00:14:11.28
particular subject, the book of
Philippians 2, and I would like
00:14:11.31\00:14:16.52
to begin reading at
verse 5. It says here:
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A better translation would
be: He did not consider equality
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with God as
something to be hung onto,
00:14:39.37\00:14:41.53
as something to be
grasped. And so it says:
00:14:41.56\00:14:45.92
A better translation would
be that He emptied Himself,...
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Notice that He was in the form
of God, but He took the form
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of a servant, and became a man
and suffered death on a cross.
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Clearly the apostle Paul,
in this passage, indicates that
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Jesus is both God
and man in one person.
00:15:25.14\00:15:30.64
He has two
natures in one person.
00:15:30.67\00:15:33.72
But now we need
to ask the question,
00:15:33.75\00:15:36.24
How far down did Jesus come?
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This is a big point of
debate in Christendom today,
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and more specifically within the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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For decades we have
had this discussion.
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How far down did Jesus come?
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Did Jesus take the nature
of Adam before Adam sinned?
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Did Jesus take the nature of the
unfallen Adam, as a human being?
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Or did Jesus take
our sinful nature?
00:16:09.93\00:16:15.03
You know, I'm not sure
that on this earth this issue
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will ever be resolved.
00:16:18.61\00:16:19.88
I've resolved that in my
own mind, and I'm going to share
00:16:19.91\00:16:23.93
with you some evidence to
the effect that Jesus Christ
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came all the way
down to where we are.
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Not to where Adam was before
he sinned, but to where we are;
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needy sinners. Go with me
to the book of Hebrews 2:14-17,
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Hebrews 2:14-17. Here the
apostle is very, very clear
00:16:48.17\00:16:55.95
on this point, I believe.
00:16:55.98\00:16:57.36
Once again, Hebrews 2
and beginning with verse 14.
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Did Jesus take the
nature of an angel?
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No, He took upon
Himself the seed of Abraham.
00:17:45.52\00:17:50.21
Now notice verse
17; very important.
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Wherefore in some things it
behooved Him to be made like
00:17:52.57\00:17:58.05
unto His brethren.
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Let's try it again.
00:17:59.30\00:18:04.41
Wherefore in most things it...
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Okay, you're protesting.
00:18:08.51\00:18:10.40
You won't even let me
continue reading. It says there:
00:18:10.43\00:18:13.70
He was made in all
things like unto His brethren.
00:18:32.00\00:18:35.70
Now I need to explain something
to you about the word brethren
00:18:35.73\00:18:39.46
in the New
Testament as it applies
00:18:39.49\00:18:42.17
to the followers of Christ.
00:18:42.20\00:18:43.82
The word brethren in the New
Testament is a technical term
00:18:43.85\00:18:48.49
which means those
who have been converted,
00:18:48.52\00:18:53.48
and belong to Jesus Christ.
00:18:53.51\00:18:56.30
They've been engrafted into
the family of God by conversion.
00:18:56.33\00:19:00.35
You remember once Jesus
said, Who is my brother?
00:19:00.38\00:19:04.57
Who is my sister?
00:19:04.60\00:19:06.29
Who is my mother?
00:19:06.32\00:19:08.01
He says, He who does the
will of God, that is my brother,
00:19:08.04\00:19:14.01
and my sister, and my
father, and my mother.
00:19:14.04\00:19:17.21
The word brethren does
not mean unregenerate sinners.
00:19:17.24\00:19:21.03
The word brethren refers
to those who have gone through
00:19:21.06\00:19:24.38
the experience of conversion.
00:19:24.41\00:19:27.01
Their human nature
has been regenerated.
00:19:27.04\00:19:29.81
They have been born
again, in other words.
00:19:29.84\00:19:33.14
This is very, very important.
00:19:33.17\00:19:34.46
So Jesus was made like
unto His converted brethren,
00:19:34.49\00:19:38.66
His born again brethren.
00:19:38.69\00:19:40.70
In other words,
Jesus, when He was born,
00:19:40.73\00:19:42.43
He never had to be born again,
because He was born again.
00:19:42.46\00:19:48.15
Are you catching my point?
00:19:51.61\00:19:54.01
Now let's go to Hebrews
4:14, 15, Hebrews 4:14, 15.
00:19:54.04\00:20:03.20
Remember that Jesus had
to come all the way down.
00:20:03.23\00:20:06.16
Hebrews 4:14, 15.
00:20:06.19\00:20:09.89
These are marvelous verses.
00:20:09.92\00:20:11.55
They fill us with
hope. It says there:
00:20:11.58\00:20:14.91
Whose infirmities?
00:20:22.60\00:20:23.76
What does that verse say?
00:20:35.31\00:20:38.55
Is the verse clear?
00:20:38.58\00:20:41.13
It is crystal clear. It says:
00:20:41.16\00:20:45.20
Now some people say, Well,
Pastor, if He was tempted in all
00:20:55.24\00:20:59.51
points like we are,
but He never sinned,
00:20:59.54\00:21:03.52
how can He understand us?
00:21:03.55\00:21:05.83
I like to use this illustration.
00:21:05.86\00:21:08.94
If you were sinking in quick
sand, and you were all the way
00:21:08.97\00:21:14.70
up to your neck, and your
head was about to go under,
00:21:14.73\00:21:18.60
what would you rather have?
00:21:18.63\00:21:20.97
Would you rather have someone
in the quicksand sympathizing
00:21:21.00\00:21:26.66
with you, or would you rather
have someone on solid ground
00:21:26.69\00:21:30.83
who can pull you out?
00:21:30.86\00:21:32.22
I think I don't even have
to answer my own question,
00:21:32.25\00:21:37.32
because the answer is obvious.
00:21:37.35\00:21:39.06
If Jesus had jumped into
the quicksand along with us,
00:21:39.09\00:21:44.88
and He had become a
sinner, He took a sinful nature,
00:21:44.91\00:21:49.20
but He didn't sin, but if He had
become a sinner, He would have
00:21:49.23\00:21:52.22
needed a what? He
would have needed a Savior.
00:21:52.25\00:21:55.20
He would have needed a Redeemer.
00:21:55.23\00:21:57.11
But we're being told here that
He was tempted in all things,
00:21:57.14\00:22:01.35
yet without sin. He took
our nature, and for 33 years
00:22:01.38\00:22:07.49
He lived a perfect, sinless
life; never acted out one sin.
00:22:07.52\00:22:15.10
That's amazing!
00:22:15.13\00:22:17.60
Now, if Jesus did not come
with our nature, we have serious
00:22:17.63\00:22:24.84
theological problems.
00:22:24.87\00:22:28.18
I don't want you to assume that
I'm being sacrilegious here,
00:22:28.21\00:22:30.95
but I want to give you an
illustration, because I want
00:22:30.98\00:22:32.64
you to
understand what I'm saying.
00:22:32.67\00:22:34.22
Let's imagine that
Superman really existed.
00:22:34.25\00:22:38.88
Now I know that
Superman doesn't exist.
00:22:38.91\00:22:40.99
Let's suppose that
Superman really did exist.
00:22:41.02\00:22:43.24
And Superman comes
to that door and he says
00:22:43.27\00:22:48.59
to those gathered here today,
he says, Folks, come outside
00:22:48.62\00:22:54.15
with me. And so we all step
out the door; we go outside.
00:22:54.18\00:22:57.58
And then Superman flies
off into the air and he says,
00:22:57.61\00:23:02.26
Follow me! What would you say?
00:23:02.29\00:23:10.26
Superman, you're crazy!
00:23:10.29\00:23:13.64
You see, you have
powers that I don't have.
00:23:13.67\00:23:17.58
You have a
different nature than I have.
00:23:17.61\00:23:20.92
You see, if Jesus had a human
nature different than we do,
00:23:20.95\00:23:28.66
on what basis could God
ask us to follow His example?
00:23:28.69\00:23:32.61
If Jesus was superior to us,
if Jesus had advantages over us,
00:23:32.64\00:23:38.75
on what basis could He
tell us to follow His example?
00:23:38.78\00:23:43.94
On what basis could we
even follow His example?
00:23:43.97\00:23:47.30
Are you
understanding what I am saying?
00:23:47.33\00:23:49.26
And so Jesus
came all the way down.
00:23:49.29\00:23:53.06
Now, if you look at
the genealogy of Christ,
00:23:53.09\00:23:57.55
in Matthew 1, you'll discover
some very interesting things.
00:23:57.58\00:24:02.25
He had quite the
list of ancestors.
00:24:02.28\00:24:05.78
Let me just mention
some of them to you.
00:24:05.81\00:24:09.14
You have Abraham the
liar, more than once.
00:24:09.17\00:24:14.67
You have Jacob the supplanter.
00:24:14.70\00:24:18.70
You have David the
murderer, and the adulterer.
00:24:18.73\00:24:24.19
You have Rahab the harlot.
00:24:24.22\00:24:27.70
You have Ruth, who
was not even an Israelite.
00:24:27.73\00:24:31.41
She was a Moabite.
00:24:31.44\00:24:32.47
And you have Amon who was
so idolatrous, and so wicked,
00:24:32.50\00:24:39.54
that he filled the streets
of Jerusalem with the innocent
00:24:39.57\00:24:43.53
blood of his own people.
00:24:43.56\00:24:45.52
That was the ancestry of Christ,
because Jesus descended from
00:24:45.55\00:24:53.89
Abraham, and He
descended from David.
00:24:53.93\00:24:56.39
Now you might say, Well,
God spared Him that inheritance.
00:24:56.42\00:25:01.23
Listen folks, A. T. Jones,
a very famous preacher back in
00:25:01.26\00:25:07.06
the 1888 Minneapolis
Conference, wrote a book titled,
00:25:07.09\00:25:12.04
The Consecrated Way
to Christian Perfection.
00:25:12.07\00:25:15.00
And he used this argument:
He said, if Jesus did not come
00:25:15.03\00:25:20.25
to this world with
our sinful nature...
00:25:20.28\00:25:24.42
By the way, the
sinful nature never sinned.
00:25:24.45\00:25:27.31
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:25:27.34\00:25:28.98
If Jesus did not come to this
world with our sinful nature,
00:25:29.01\00:25:32.90
then Mary, His
mother, must have been
00:25:32.93\00:25:37.90
immaculately conceived.
00:25:37.93\00:25:39.90
Have you ever heard the doctrine
of the immaculate conception?
00:25:39.93\00:25:44.54
You know, many people
assume that the doctrine of the
00:25:44.57\00:25:46.97
immaculate conception means
that the Catholic Church teaches
00:25:47.00\00:25:50.46
that Jesus was born immaculate.
00:25:50.49\00:25:52.83
That's not the doctrine.
00:25:52.86\00:25:54.63
The doctrine of the immaculate
conception is that Mary was born
00:25:54.66\00:25:59.31
without sinful human nature,
because how could she give birth
00:25:59.34\00:26:06.08
to Jesus with a
perfect and sinless nature,
00:26:06.11\00:26:10.79
if Jesus inherited a
sinful nature from her?
00:26:10.82\00:26:15.14
And so they spare Mary
from having a sinful nature,
00:26:15.17\00:26:19.64
and therefore they say
Jesus could be born without
00:26:19.67\00:26:22.74
a sinful nature. This creates
huge problems, because if you
00:26:22.77\00:26:27.21
believe that Mary was
born without the sinful nature,
00:26:27.24\00:26:31.27
you would have to assume that
her mother also was born without
00:26:31.30\00:26:35.04
a sinful nature. And her mother
must have been born without
00:26:35.07\00:26:39.04
a sinful nature, and so on.
00:26:39.07\00:26:40.65
The fact is that Jesus descended
from Mary, who was from the
00:26:40.68\00:26:45.10
line that is mentioned in
Matthew 1, the line of Abraham,
00:26:45.13\00:26:49.24
and Jacob, and David,
and all of these individuals
00:26:49.27\00:26:53.77
that are mentioned in
the genealogy of Christ.
00:26:53.80\00:26:56.43
He truly inherited
the sinful human nature.
00:26:56.46\00:27:02.10
You're probably saying,
this probably is a unique
00:27:02.13\00:27:06.10
Adventist view. I want
to read a statement from,
00:27:06.13\00:27:09.89
perhaps arguably,
the greatest theologian
00:27:09.92\00:27:13.72
of the twentieth century.
00:27:13.75\00:27:15.90
You've probably
never heard of him.
00:27:15.93\00:27:17.35
His name is Karl Barth.
00:27:17.38\00:27:19.65
He wrote in his
Church Dogmatics, Volume 1,
00:27:19.68\00:27:24.96
part 2, page 153,
the following words:
00:27:24.99\00:27:28.63
Do you notice this?
00:27:48.71\00:27:51.59
By the way, he was
a reformed theologian.
00:27:51.62\00:27:55.01
He continues saying:
00:27:55.04\00:27:56.92
So Karl Barth himself, and I
have other statements from other
00:28:27.27\00:28:31.68
non-Adventist theologians, who
teach the same truth that Jesus
00:28:31.71\00:28:36.26
assumed our sinful nature,
and He did not allow that sinful
00:28:36.29\00:28:42.51
nature to manifest
itself in acts of sin.
00:28:42.54\00:28:46.52
In other words, Jesus had a
sinful nature, but He developed
00:28:46.55\00:28:52.20
a holy character.
00:28:52.23\00:28:54.47
Jesus had, in other
words, sinful flesh.
00:28:54.50\00:28:58.90
He did not have holy flesh.
00:28:58.93\00:29:01.35
He had sinful flesh,
like we have sinful flesh.
00:29:01.38\00:29:05.35
And yet Jesus never allowed
the sinful flesh to manifest
00:29:05.38\00:29:10.23
itself in acts of sin.
00:29:10.26\00:29:12.88
The instant the temptation came
to Christ, Jesus resisted it.
00:29:12.91\00:29:19.31
He never for a momentary
instant had an inclination,
00:29:19.34\00:29:23.97
or a tendency to commit
sin, because the moment the
00:29:24.00\00:29:27.82
temptation arrived, even before
He would have a tendency or an
00:29:27.85\00:29:31.26
inclination to commit the sin,
He would say, It is written!
00:29:31.29\00:29:35.58
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:29:35.61\00:29:38.95
He had no inclination, He never
played with temptation and said,
00:29:38.98\00:29:42.69
Should I, or shouldn't I?
00:29:42.72\00:29:44.47
Never did Jesus
have that feeling.
00:29:44.50\00:29:47.87
He never had a tendency,
or an inclination to commit
00:29:47.90\00:29:50.88
an act of sin, even
though He had our nature.
00:29:50.91\00:29:53.68
Now is that
comforting truth for us?
00:29:53.71\00:29:56.74
Is that
encouraging truth for us?
00:29:56.77\00:29:58.74
I'll tell you, that is
very encouraging to me,
00:29:58.77\00:30:01.04
because I need to know
that there is power to overcome.
00:30:01.07\00:30:05.81
There is power to conquer.
00:30:05.84\00:30:07.78
Notice Romans
8:3, 4, Romans 8: 3, 4.
00:30:07.81\00:30:17.71
Here we find very
clearly this same idea
00:30:17.74\00:30:20.33
expressed by the
apostle Paul. It says there:
00:30:20.36\00:30:23.56
In other words,
the law can't save us.
00:30:30.36\00:30:31.85
In the likeness of what?
00:30:40.26\00:30:43.03
In other words, He came
in the likeness of our flesh,
00:30:43.06\00:30:46.12
the likeness of our flesh.
00:30:46.15\00:30:48.22
His flesh was like our flesh,
sinful flesh. And so it says:
00:30:48.26\00:30:53.29
How did Jesus
condemn sin? in sinful flesh,
00:31:02.23\00:31:08.14
according to this.
00:31:08.17\00:31:09.20
The apostle Paul is
saying that we can follow
00:31:16.66\00:31:18.98
the example of Jesus.
00:31:19.01\00:31:20.04
We can walk not
according to the flesh,
00:31:20.07\00:31:22.29
but according to the Spirit.
00:31:22.32\00:31:24.20
I would like to read
several statements also from
00:31:24.23\00:31:29.58
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:31:29.61\00:31:31.71
The first of these is in The
Desire of Ages, pages 311, 312.
00:31:31.74\00:31:37.45
Very meaningful statements.
00:31:37.48\00:31:39.73
And she's speaking in the
context of the Lord's ladder.
00:31:39.76\00:31:45.19
I almost said Jacob's ladder.
00:31:45.22\00:31:46.45
The Lord's ladder.
00:31:46.48\00:31:47.57
See, we are
climbing Jacob's ladder.
00:31:47.60\00:31:49.20
We're not climbing
Jacob's ladder. Be real!
00:31:49.23\00:31:51.43
We're climbing the
Lord's ladder. Notice:
00:31:51.46\00:31:53.96
How far did the
ladder come down?
00:32:19.96\00:32:22.12
All the way down.
She continues saying:
00:32:22.15\00:32:26.07
Where does Christ
reach? Adam before he fell? No.
00:32:30.52\00:32:37.10
He reaches us where we are.
00:32:37.13\00:32:38.62
Imagine that:
living in sinful flesh,
00:32:53.51\00:32:56.55
and yet living a sinless life.
00:32:56.58\00:32:58.58
That's the top of the ladder.
00:33:05.00\00:33:06.63
Well, after all, you do know
that text of the apostle Paul
00:33:21.65\00:33:25.81
where he says, I can do
most things through Christ
00:33:25.84\00:33:28.58
who strengthens me.
00:33:28.61\00:33:29.95
I can do some things through
Christ who strengthens me.
00:33:29.98\00:33:35.00
Is that what the text says?
00:33:35.03\00:33:36.23
The text says, I can do
all things except overcome sin,
00:33:36.26\00:33:40.18
through Christ
who strengthens me.
00:33:40.21\00:33:41.89
The last I knew, all means all.
00:33:41.92\00:33:45.38
If I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me,
00:33:45.41\00:33:50.09
it means that I can
also overcome sin through the
00:33:50.12\00:33:54.40
power of Jesus, like
Jesus overcame sin through
00:33:54.43\00:33:57.83
the power of the
Spirit that dwelt in His life.
00:33:57.86\00:34:01.55
Allow me to read just a
few more statements here.
00:34:01.58\00:34:04.74
This one is from Signs of
the Times, October 17, 1900.
00:34:04.77\00:34:09.90
She says:
00:34:09.93\00:34:11.12
In other words, Adam
had no indwelling sin.
00:34:19.55\00:34:21.94
That's not what
led him to yield.
00:34:21.97\00:34:23.84
Now here comes the contrast.
00:34:40.14\00:34:42.78
See the contrast
between Adam and Jesus?
00:34:51.07\00:34:54.69
In another statement that
we find in The Desire of Ages,
00:35:14.39\00:35:17.51
page 49, Ellen White says this:
00:35:17.54\00:35:20.94
Did you catch that?
00:35:34.04\00:35:36.13
It would have been an almost
infinite humiliation for Jesus
00:35:36.16\00:35:40.19
to take the human nature of Adam
before his sins, she's saying.
00:35:40.22\00:35:43.61
Notice the word "but" again.
00:35:49.75\00:35:50.87
That's Matthew, chapter 1.
00:36:06.25\00:36:09.09
Allow me to
read just a few more.
00:36:28.93\00:36:31.89
The Adventist Review and Sabbath
Herald, February 24, 1874.
00:36:31.92\00:36:37.31
Ellen White says:
00:36:37.34\00:36:39.21
Did you catch that?
00:36:50.81\00:36:52.94
Taking the place
of whom? fallen Adam.
00:36:52.97\00:36:56.42
General Conference Bulletin,
April 23, 1901, she says this:
00:36:56.45\00:37:01.91
Perhaps one more; Youth's
Instructor, December 20, 1900.
00:37:13.34\00:37:18.39
By the way, do you notice that
most of these statements are
00:37:18.42\00:37:20.88
from the early 1900's,
right after the Congress of
00:37:20.91\00:37:24.83
Minneapolis in
1888. She says this:
00:37:24.86\00:37:27.50
Did you catch that?
00:37:37.35\00:37:40.06
I'm going to read that again.
00:37:40.09\00:37:41.28
Folks there is
no excuse for sin.
00:37:58.91\00:38:02.89
We can't say, the
devil made me do it.
00:38:02.92\00:38:05.47
The world made me do it.
00:38:05.50\00:38:07.48
The flesh made me do it.
00:38:07.51\00:38:09.32
After all I have sinful flesh.
00:38:09.35\00:38:10.86
Do you know what you're really
saying when you say that you
00:38:10.89\00:38:13.53
can't overcome sin?
00:38:13.56\00:38:14.59
You're not saying that the flesh
is weak, what you're saying is
00:38:14.62\00:38:17.53
that God is not powerful enough.
00:38:17.56\00:38:20.67
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:38:20.70\00:38:23.05
When you say, I can't overcome.
00:38:23.08\00:38:24.51
It's impossible to
overcome sin, because I have a
00:38:24.54\00:38:27.70
sinful human nature.
00:38:27.74\00:38:28.77
You're saying that even
God cannot give you power
00:38:28.80\00:38:31.22
to overcome that sinful nature.
00:38:31.25\00:38:33.18
You're limiting the
power of God by saying
00:38:33.21\00:38:36.41
that it's not possible.
00:38:36.44\00:38:37.47
Now, so we have this ladder.
00:38:37.50\00:38:43.48
By the way, do you
know what's interesting?
00:38:43.51\00:38:45.82
This ladder is not,
first of all, set up on earth,
00:38:45.85\00:38:49.73
and then it reaches the top.
00:38:49.76\00:38:51.06
You know, that's the
way we set up ladders?
00:38:51.09\00:38:52.69
You know, you take it out from
the garage, and then you take it
00:38:52.72\00:38:55.63
and you put it on the ground,
and you put it up to the roof?
00:38:55.66\00:38:59.54
No, with God's
ladder it's different.
00:38:59.57\00:39:01.87
See with God's
ladder, the ladder is let down
00:39:01.90\00:39:05.77
from heaven to earth.
00:39:05.80\00:39:06.83
It's up there first and
then it comes down to earth,
00:39:06.86\00:39:09.98
and it bridges heaven and earth.
00:39:10.01\00:39:12.42
It reminds me of what happened
several years ago in Texas.
00:39:12.45\00:39:15.72
You might remember
this story; a little girl
00:39:15.75\00:39:17.26
who fell into a cistern.
00:39:17.29\00:39:18.65
Remember that? She was deep
down in this narrow cistern.
00:39:18.68\00:39:23.04
And when the fire department
came they were trying to figure
00:39:23.07\00:39:26.35
out how they could get her out.
00:39:26.38\00:39:28.19
She was too
little, she was injured,
00:39:28.22\00:39:30.06
she couldn't take the rope.
00:39:30.09\00:39:31.30
They couldn't say, Take the
rope and we'll pull you out.
00:39:31.33\00:39:34.12
So what happened is that one
of the fire fighters actually
00:39:34.15\00:39:38.09
got in that real narrow cistern,
and he was let down on the rope,
00:39:38.12\00:39:43.83
all the way to the
level where she was.
00:39:43.86\00:39:46.27
He took her in his
arms and lifted her up.
00:39:46.30\00:39:51.93
You see, the idea of this ladder
is not that the ladder is set up
00:39:51.96\00:39:56.25
on earth, and we climb up
to heaven, the idea is that the
00:39:56.28\00:40:00.18
ladder is let down
from heaven to earth,
00:40:00.21\00:40:02.73
and then we can climb up.
00:40:02.76\00:40:04.44
The honor and the
glory belongs to Him.
00:40:04.47\00:40:07.27
Now Jesus is the ladder
that bridges heaven and earth.
00:40:07.30\00:40:11.69
You see, as God He
unites us with God.
00:40:11.72\00:40:14.78
As man, He is united with us.
00:40:14.81\00:40:18.47
He is the God man.
00:40:18.50\00:40:21.32
Do you know that
we're closer to God now
00:40:21.35\00:40:24.17
than if we'd never sinned?
00:40:24.20\00:40:25.33
Because if we'd sinned,
Jesus would only be God,
00:40:25.36\00:40:28.62
but as a result of
sin, now God is one of us
00:40:28.65\00:40:33.34
through Jesus Christ.
00:40:33.37\00:40:35.12
He's closer to us than
if we had never sinned.
00:40:35.15\00:40:38.94
The ladder is Jesus.
00:40:38.97\00:40:40.95
The ladder, in fact,
represents the intercessions
00:40:40.98\00:40:43.65
of Jesus for us.
00:40:43.68\00:40:45.20
Notice what we find in 1 Timothy
2:5, 1 Timothy 2:5. It says:
00:40:45.23\00:40:54.24
Who is the only mediator
between heaven and earth?
00:41:01.21\00:41:03.66
The only mediator, the
only one who can represent us
00:41:03.69\00:41:07.27
before the Father is
Jesus, because He's one of us.
00:41:07.30\00:41:10.99
And He can
represent us to His Father,
00:41:11.02\00:41:13.09
because He's one
with His Father as well.
00:41:13.12\00:41:15.76
In other words,
Jesus is the bridge
00:41:15.79\00:41:18.15
between heaven and earth.
00:41:18.18\00:41:19.27
You know what saddens me?
00:41:19.30\00:41:22.46
What saddens me is that
there's a church in this world
00:41:22.49\00:41:25.89
that teaches that you
need priests, human priests,
00:41:25.92\00:41:29.79
to unite you with heaven.
00:41:29.82\00:41:31.82
They say that, you
know, you come to the priest,
00:41:31.86\00:41:35.84
and the priest, he
represents you before God.
00:41:35.87\00:41:38.66
He presents your sins
before God, and he forgives you.
00:41:38.69\00:41:41.25
There are two
problems with that idea.
00:41:41.28\00:41:44.10
Problem number one is that
according to Hebrews 7:25, 26,
00:41:44.13\00:41:50.23
if you'd go with me
there, Hebrews 7:25, 26.
00:41:50.26\00:41:54.96
The only priest that
can represent us is a priest
00:41:54.99\00:41:58.74
who is perfectly
undefiled by sin.
00:41:58.77\00:42:01.60
It says there in
Hebrews 7: 25, 26;
00:42:01.63\00:42:05.87
Did you notice that?
We come unto God by whom?
00:42:13.64\00:42:15.75
We come unto God by Him.
00:42:15.79\00:42:18.22
See, He
represents us before God.
00:42:23.30\00:42:25.25
And who is the only one who
can do that? Notice verse 26:
00:42:25.28\00:42:28.58
In order to be a
priest he has to be what?
00:42:38.50\00:42:41.26
He has to be perfect.
00:42:41.29\00:42:43.20
I don't know a single
human priest who is perfect.
00:42:43.24\00:42:48.05
And so human priests
cannot bridge the gap
00:42:48.08\00:42:52.46
between us and God.
00:42:52.49\00:42:53.65
But there's another reason
why human priests can't do it,
00:42:53.69\00:42:56.86
and that is because in order for
the ladder to bridge the heaven
00:42:56.89\00:43:01.20
and the earth, the person
who bridges it must be God,
00:43:01.23\00:43:04.86
and must be man.
00:43:04.89\00:43:06.08
And I don't know the first
priest on earth who is God.
00:43:06.12\00:43:09.73
They are men,
but they are not God.
00:43:09.76\00:43:12.32
They have the bottom of
the ladder, but they have no
00:43:12.36\00:43:14.97
way of getting to the
top, because the mediator
00:43:15.00\00:43:17.98
has to be man and he has to be
God, and he has to be perfect.
00:43:18.02\00:43:22.38
And so a human priesthood
representing us before God
00:43:22.42\00:43:26.56
is simply false theology,
and dangerous theology,
00:43:26.60\00:43:30.71
because it gives us the
impression that our hope
00:43:30.74\00:43:33.60
rests upon the arm of man.
00:43:33.63\00:43:36.21
Do you know what the
ladder represents is the
00:43:36.25\00:43:41.07
intercession of Jesus for us.
00:43:41.10\00:43:42.82
You know, if we do sin 1 John
2:1 says, These things I write
00:43:42.86\00:43:50.05
to you so that you sin not,
but if anyone sins we have what?
00:43:50.08\00:43:55.21
We have an
advocate with the Father,
00:43:55.24\00:43:57.90
Jesus Christ the righteous.
00:43:57.93\00:44:00.64
So, in other words, Jesus
represents us before the Father.
00:44:00.67\00:44:03.73
And let me say this, folks,
in order for Jesus to bridge
00:44:03.76\00:44:07.64
the gap between us and heaven,
we must be truly repentant,
00:44:07.67\00:44:13.02
and we must confess
our sins without excuse.
00:44:13.05\00:44:18.84
We must be sorry for sin.
00:44:18.88\00:44:21.14
You know, Proverbs 28:13 says
that we must not only confess
00:44:21.17\00:44:27.03
our sin, but we
must forsake our sins
00:44:27.06\00:44:30.76
through the power of Jesus.
00:44:30.80\00:44:32.05
But the good news is that if we
blow it, if we sin, Jesus Christ
00:44:32.08\00:44:36.65
represents us before the Father
when there is true repentance,
00:44:36.68\00:44:40.20
and when there is
confession of sin.
00:44:40.24\00:44:42.37
You know, once we've knelt
at the foot of our bed at night,
00:44:42.41\00:44:45.27
and we do an
inventory of our lives, we say,
00:44:45.30\00:44:47.76
Oh, I blew it here,
and I did this wrong today,
00:44:47.79\00:44:50.23
and I just lost my temper.
00:44:50.26\00:44:51.58
You know, when we think about
what we did throughout the day,
00:44:51.62\00:44:55.33
we can kneel and we pray, Jesus,
you know, I'm really sorry
00:44:55.36\00:44:59.04
about all of
these things that I did.
00:44:59.07\00:45:00.36
And we're supposed to
confess our sins specifically,
00:45:00.40\00:45:03.71
not just a general,
please forgive me my sins,
00:45:03.74\00:45:06.39
but we're supposed to
think on our sins individually.
00:45:06.42\00:45:09.34
And that those sins
led Jesus to the cross,
00:45:09.37\00:45:12.85
and when we do them we
feel sorrow for sin because
00:45:12.88\00:45:15.92
we recognize
what sin did to Jesus.
00:45:15.95\00:45:18.15
We say, Oh, Jesus, please
forgive me for what I've done.
00:45:18.19\00:45:22.47
And then Jesus is the ladder
that bridges us with heaven.
00:45:22.50\00:45:26.75
Isn't that good news?
00:45:26.78\00:45:28.79
So He not only gives us
power, but He also gives us
00:45:28.83\00:45:33.50
forgiveness, because we are on
a road that leads us to growth.
00:45:33.54\00:45:40.56
Now, upon the ladder there were
angels ascending and descending.
00:45:40.60\00:45:47.59
You know, we don't give
enough of a role to angels.
00:45:47.63\00:45:51.82
Angels ascending and
descending upon the Son of man.
00:45:51.85\00:45:56.00
What could that possibly mean?
00:45:56.03\00:45:58.19
Well, let me talk to
you a moment about the
00:45:58.22\00:46:01.33
veil of the temple.
00:46:01.36\00:46:02.57
Go with me to
Exodus 26:31, Exodus 26:31.
00:46:02.60\00:46:10.13
I want you to notice
that between the holy and
00:46:10.16\00:46:12.18
the most holy place, right in
front of the alter of incense,
00:46:12.21\00:46:17.15
or the golden
altar, there was a veil.
00:46:17.18\00:46:20.28
And I want you to notice the
interesting characteristic about
00:46:20.31\00:46:24.04
that veil. Exodus
26:31. It says here:
00:46:24.07\00:46:29.61
And there were cherubim's
ascending and descending
00:46:42.97\00:46:46.82
upon the veil. The book
of Hebrews says that the veil
00:46:46.85\00:46:50.66
represents the
flesh of Jesus Christ.
00:46:50.69\00:46:53.63
And, by the way, when incense
was offered on that altar,
00:46:53.67\00:46:59.02
the incense would ascend where
the curtain was, and it would go
00:46:59.05\00:47:05.47
into the presence of God.
00:47:05.50\00:47:06.79
Do you know
what that represents?
00:47:06.82\00:47:09.03
It represents the fact that when
we pray our prayers are borne
00:47:09.06\00:47:14.97
by the angels to
the courts of heaven.
00:47:15.01\00:47:17.47
And when God answers our
prayers, He sends His angels
00:47:17.50\00:47:26.04
to this earth to fulfill
that which we are requesting in
00:47:26.07\00:47:31.33
harmony with His will.
00:47:31.36\00:47:32.51
You know we have
biblical examples of this.
00:47:32.55\00:47:35.45
For example, in Daniel 9:22, 23,
we find Daniel praying for light
00:47:35.48\00:47:44.29
about the
prophecy of the 2300 days.
00:47:44.32\00:47:47.05
And while he's praying, suddenly
appears before him the angel
00:47:47.08\00:47:54.69
Gabriel, and Gabriel
actually says, Before you even
00:47:54.72\00:47:58.92
finished your prayer, I was on
my way with the Lord's answer.
00:47:58.95\00:48:03.91
So, in other words, the
angels are ministering spirits
00:48:03.94\00:48:07.81
between heaven and earth.
00:48:07.84\00:48:09.03
They are the
emissaries of Jesus.
00:48:09.06\00:48:12.21
They take our prayers to heaven,
they bring God's answers back.
00:48:12.24\00:48:15.93
This church that I was
mentioning a little while ago,
00:48:15.96\00:48:19.90
they teach that individuals
who died and went to heaven
00:48:19.93\00:48:23.84
are our intercessors.
00:48:23.88\00:48:26.29
And, of course, the greatest
intercessor, in their mind,
00:48:26.33\00:48:29.65
is Mary. So if Mary and all
of these heroes, so to speak,
00:48:29.68\00:48:36.15
are our intercessors
between heaven and earth,
00:48:36.18\00:48:39.05
that means that the
angels must fold their wings,
00:48:39.08\00:48:41.88
and fold their hands,
and they're left unemployed.
00:48:41.91\00:48:46.04
But really the connection
between heaven and earth
00:48:46.08\00:48:50.21
is close indeed. This world is
filled with emissaries of God.
00:48:50.24\00:48:56.78
It's filled with angels
just waiting to do the biddings
00:48:56.82\00:49:01.02
of God when we ask.
00:49:01.05\00:49:03.45
Matthew 4:11 describes
Jesus in the wilderness.
00:49:03.48\00:49:11.99
And when Jesus was in
the wilderness we are told
00:49:12.02\00:49:15.80
that angels from heaven came
down and ministered unto Christ.
00:49:15.83\00:49:22.87
So the angels even ministered
unto Jesus while Jesus was here.
00:49:22.90\00:49:29.93
And when Jesus goes back to
heaven He's still the commander
00:49:29.96\00:49:32.78
of the angels. The angels
still fulfill His biddings.
00:49:32.82\00:49:37.00
In that sense the angels ascend
and descend on the Son of man,
00:49:37.03\00:49:42.11
because they are the instruments
of Jesus to fulfill His will
00:49:42.14\00:49:46.49
throughout the universe.
00:49:46.52\00:49:48.55
Do you know, there's another
story in the book of Genesis.
00:49:48.58\00:49:54.73
It's in Genesis 11,
the story of the tower.
00:49:54.76\00:49:58.82
Have you ever read that story?
00:49:58.85\00:50:02.06
You know, that's
just the opposite of
00:50:02.10\00:50:04.44
what we studied tonight.
00:50:04.48\00:50:05.51
In our study we've noticed that
the ladder, which bridges heaven
00:50:05.54\00:50:10.35
and earth, is let down
from heaven and set up on earth
00:50:10.38\00:50:14.49
so that we can go up.
00:50:14.52\00:50:16.21
But in Genesis 11 the builders
of the tower, this is after
00:50:16.24\00:50:21.23
the flood, they want to save
themselves from another flood.
00:50:21.26\00:50:26.95
And so they build the
tower from the bottom up.
00:50:26.98\00:50:30.93
You see, salvation comes
from up down, not from down up.
00:50:30.96\00:50:35.70
We do not save
ourselves by our works.
00:50:35.73\00:50:39.33
We do not save
ourselves by our towers.
00:50:39.36\00:50:42.19
We do not save
ourselves by what we do.
00:50:42.23\00:50:45.05
They said, Let us
make a name for ourselves,
00:50:45.08\00:50:50.88
and so they tried to
ascend to the highest heavens
00:50:50.92\00:50:54.34
on their tower to save
themselves from another flood.
00:50:54.37\00:50:57.62
And God said, You're
going about it the wrong way.
00:50:57.66\00:51:00.87
You can never
reach up to heaven.
00:51:00.91\00:51:02.85
Heaven reaches unto you.
00:51:02.88\00:51:05.11
Genesis 3, when
Adam and Eve sinned.
00:51:05.14\00:51:10.89
We don't find Adam saying,
Oh Lord, please forgive me.
00:51:10.93\00:51:15.51
We don't see that.
00:51:15.54\00:51:16.57
God comes down to the garden and
He says, Adam, where are you?
00:51:16.61\00:51:23.20
Adam isn't seeking after God.
00:51:24.03\00:51:26.61
God is seeking Adam.
00:51:26.64\00:51:28.46
In Romans 3:11, it says there
is no one who seeketh after God.
00:51:28.49\00:51:34.57
In other words, God comes
down and seeks us, in Jesus,
00:51:34.61\00:51:39.21
the ladder, so that
we can then climb up.
00:51:39.25\00:51:42.81
We don't build our ladder
so that we can get up there.
00:51:42.85\00:51:45.83
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:51:45.87\00:51:47.52
Babel represents the
human attempt to save itself,
00:51:47.56\00:51:52.44
whereas the ladder
represents God saving us.
00:51:52.48\00:51:56.40
Now somebody might be
saying, Well, Pastor Bohr,
00:51:56.43\00:51:58.43
but what about that text
that says, You shall seek me,
00:51:58.46\00:52:01.35
and you shall find me, when
you seek me with all your heart?
00:52:01.39\00:52:04.73
See man does seek after
God, but do you know what?
00:52:04.76\00:52:08.21
God implants in our
hearts the desire to seek Him.
00:52:08.25\00:52:11.66
Do you know, we
don't even repent.
00:52:11.69\00:52:14.91
God gives us repentance,
according to scripture.
00:52:14.94\00:52:19.41
And when He plants the Spirit
of repentance in our hearts,
00:52:19.44\00:52:23.51
we repent. God gives
us a spirit of confession.
00:52:23.55\00:52:26.53
In other words, all salvation
originates with God, whether
00:52:26.57\00:52:30.82
it be repentance,
whether it be confession,
00:52:30.85\00:52:33.05
no matter what it is, whether
it's a seeking God, it's because
00:52:33.08\00:52:36.12
God has planted it
first in the human heart.
00:52:36.15\00:52:38.87
And that's what the
ladder is trying to teach.
00:52:38.90\00:52:42.64
God has let down
the ladder to save us.
00:52:42.67\00:52:47.55
Now we are
climbing the Lord's ladder.
00:52:47.58\00:52:52.46
We're not there yet, but
we're climbing the ladder.
00:52:52.49\00:52:55.70
Do you know what
climbing the ladder represents?
00:52:55.73\00:52:59.61
It represents the fact
that every day we are growing
00:52:59.64\00:53:03.48
in our Christian experience.
00:53:03.51\00:53:05.83
We are gaining
victories in our Christian life.
00:53:05.87\00:53:09.10
And do you know how we do it?
00:53:09.13\00:53:11.06
Go with me to the book
of Hebrews 12, Hebrews 12.
00:53:11.09\00:53:16.51
Now if you're on a ladder
is it very safe to look down?
00:53:16.54\00:53:21.53
Where do you usually look
when you're climbing a ladder?
00:53:21.57\00:53:26.55
I'll tell you what, I look up.
00:53:26.58\00:53:29.75
Notice Hebrews 12:1.
00:53:29.78\00:53:32.80
Wherefore, seeing we also are
compassed about with so great
00:53:32.84\00:53:38.57
a cloud of witnesses,...
00:53:38.60\00:53:39.99
How can we run with patience
the race that is set before us?
00:53:51.40\00:53:54.95
How can we lay aside,
according to this, every weight,
00:53:54.98\00:53:57.69
and the sin which
besets us so easily?
00:53:57.72\00:54:00.33
How can we do it? Verse 2.
00:54:00.36\00:54:02.32
The word consider
means to concentrate upon.
00:54:21.01\00:54:24.32
How is it that
we're not weary or faint?
00:54:35.84\00:54:37.98
By keeping our
eyes where? on Jesus.
00:54:38.01\00:54:44.91
When I was going to
school before I got married,
00:54:44.94\00:54:48.15
before I met my wife in
Columbia, we went to visit this
00:54:48.18\00:54:51.83
great big rock that
sticks out of the ground.
00:54:51.86\00:54:54.12
The name of the
rock is El Penol.
00:54:54.16\00:54:56.89
Huge, I mean it's, Oh,
several hundred feet tall.
00:54:56.92\00:55:01.33
And when we went to
that place with the school,
00:55:01.36\00:55:05.70
we went on an outing, they
had a ladder made out of wood
00:55:05.74\00:55:11.78
that went like a maze
up one side of that rock.
00:55:11.81\00:55:17.43
And the interesting thing
is it was a hanging ladder.
00:55:17.47\00:55:21.38
It had ropes on the side, and
many of the boards of the ladder
00:55:21.42\00:55:26.14
were missing. It was actually
not a ladder, it was a walkway
00:55:26.17\00:55:30.86
that would go up, you
know, up and up and up.
00:55:30.89\00:55:33.65
You didn't have steps.
00:55:33.68\00:55:34.71
You had to grab onto the ropes,
and you had to step over the
00:55:34.74\00:55:38.55
boards that were missing.
00:55:38.59\00:55:40.02
And I'll tell you, when I got up
there that wind started whipping
00:55:40.05\00:55:44.35
back and forth, and you know,
I peeked one time through one of
00:55:44.38\00:55:48.67
those boards, and it
was a long ways down there.
00:55:48.70\00:55:51.22
But they had told us
before we got on that ladder,
00:55:51.25\00:55:56.36
or that walkway up
to the top of the rock,
00:55:56.39\00:55:59.74
and I've been to the top.
00:55:59.78\00:56:00.81
Now, also, they have a cement
stairs that go all the way to
00:56:00.84\00:56:05.68
the top, Praise the Lord.
00:56:05.71\00:56:06.88
It's a lot easier now, although
it takes a lot of stamina
00:56:06.91\00:56:09.30
stamina to get out there.
00:56:09.34\00:56:10.57
But, anyway, they
said two things to us
00:56:10.60\00:56:14.21
when we were about to go
up: 1. Hang on for dear life.
00:56:14.24\00:56:20.42
2. Don't look down.
00:56:20.46\00:56:24.84
And I must admit I did disobey
once, because I looked down,
00:56:24.88\00:56:29.69
and I was sorry I did.
00:56:29.72\00:56:31.57
Do you know, that's the
way that we can overcome sin.
00:56:31.60\00:56:35.95
1. Don't look down.
00:56:35.98\00:56:43.03
Look unto Jesus. Keep
your eyes on the ladder.
00:56:43.06\00:56:47.87
From bottom to top as we
ascend, let's keep our eyes
00:56:47.90\00:56:52.67
on the holy city, on
Jesus, the author and finisher
00:56:52.71\00:56:57.41
of our faith. If we did
that, and watch less television,
00:56:57.44\00:57:00.05
listen to less worldly
music, and were less concerned
00:57:00.09\00:57:02.67
about our own riches, and our
own money, we would have victory
00:57:02.70\00:57:05.80
in our Christian life.
00:57:05.84\00:57:06.87
But we have a tendency to
look down instead of looking up.
00:57:06.90\00:57:10.79
And folks, for
everything in the world,
00:57:10.82\00:57:15.47
let's hang on to
Jesus, the author
00:57:15.51\00:57:21.57
and finisher of our faith.
00:57:21.60\00:57:24.14