By Johnie Edwards
There are a number of things Jesus did not have, yet there are some things he had that we are looking at in this study.
Jesus Had Pre-Existence
Some believe and teach that Jesus was a created being. Not so! Jesus has always been. He existed before he came to earth. He was present at the creation. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Paul wrote the Colossians, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16). Jesus is eternal. Jesus told the Jews of his day, “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn. 8:58). Don’t let anybody tell you that Jesus had no pre-existence!
Jesus Had An Unusual Conception
Jesus was born of a virgin! Isaiah foresaw the conception of Jesus as a miracle. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). New Testament writers like Matthew picked up this out-of-the-ordinary story. “Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 1: 18). Again Matthew said, “. . . for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 1:20). The actual birth of Jesus was ordinary. It was the conception that was different.
Jesus Had Dual Being
Jesus had a dual nature. Jesus was God-man. He was both human and divine. He was “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). John said, “And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14). Paul wrote the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8). Even though Jesus took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men, he still had his divinity. He was both human and divine. Something took on the likeness of men. Just what was that? It was divinity that took on the likeness of men.
Jesus Had Compassion
Our society today is lacking in compassion. While Jesus was here, he had compassion on men. The Bible says that Jesus was moved with compassion. “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). There is a great demand among the Lord’s people to show compassion toward others. Perhaps one reason we are losing people faster than we are converting them, in lots of places, is because we show so little care, concern and compassion! Peter said, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Pet. 3:8). I don’t care how much you have and how much you give on Sunday into the collection plate, if you do not have compassion for others, you are in a bad way. John said, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 Jn. 3:17)
Jesus Had Work to Do
Jesus was busy. He had work to do. He said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work” (Jn. 9:4). At the tender age of twelve, Jesus told Mary and Joseph, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Lk. 2:49). Jesus said to the Jews of his day, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (Jn. 5:17). When John asked, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3), the works Jesus did were pointed to as evidence that he was who he said he was. The works were “the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11:5). Near the close of his earth life, he said, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (Jn. 17:4).
Every Christian needs to be working. The Holy Spirit told the Corinthians, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
Jesus Had All Authority
A failure to recognize that Jesus had all power or authority has been the source of many problems among the Lord’s people. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). The mother of Jesus realized that he had all authority when she said, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (Jn. 2:5). While Jesus was here on earth, folks were astonished at his doctrine. “For he taught them as one having authority” (Matt. 7:29). A failure for the church to know that Jesus is “the head of the body” (Col. 1:18) has kept many churches of Christ from being in subjection to him. As a result of this concept, lots of churches have engaged in unauthorized works such as providing entertainment and recreation out of the church treasury to contributing to human organizations in doing the work of the church. Recently more than 4,000 churches of Christ have contributed to the “One Nation Under God” project of a Tennessee church to the tune of about $10,000,000 dollars in an evangelistic campaign. The authority of Christ does not allow such an arrangement!
Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 10, pp. 304-305
May 21, 1992