Although it’s common today to think of Jesus as God, he’s the human mediator between God and mankind (1 Tim 2:5). God never feels the pull of sin. Like eating liver and onions, sin holds no temptation for God (Jam 1:13). Jesus, however, faced temptations to sin throughout his life, but he overcame each one (Heb 4:15).

Scripture reveals that although Jesus had a miraculous conception (Luke 1:35), he was genuine human being. He was born in the usual manner (Luke 2:7), grew up and became strong (Luke 2:40), and increased in wisdom over time (Luke 2:52).

Peter recognized that Jesus was a man attested by God (Acts 2:22-23). Paul saw him as the man who righted Adam’s wrongs (Rom 5:12-21). Even when Jesus returns as judge, he will still be a man appointed by God (Acts 17:31).

To be human is to be in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27) and to have dominion over creation (Psalm 8:3-8). Jesus, though initially lower than the angels, has received glory and honor as the ultimate man who served God faithfully (Heb 2:5-18).

The secret to Jesus’s success of living righteously was his dependence on the Father (John 4:34; 5:19, 30; 7:16, 28; 8:26, 28-29; 10:25, 37; 12:49-50; 14:10, 24, 31; 15:10, 15; 17:4, 7-8). The greatest demonstration of his humble obedience was when he faced Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Mat 4:1-11).

Jesus is the perfect man, our ultimate example in whose steps we can follow (1 Pet 2:18-25).

Our hope should be the anchor of our soul as we navigate the struggles of life. Scripture gives us abundant and vivid information about the coming Kingdom, providing a clear picture of the future we can confidently anticipate, rather than relying on vague or speculative ideas about heaven.

Romans 8:18 The more we know about glory, the better.

Romans 20 – Futility means emptiness, frustration, inability to achieve the purpose for which something was created.

Genesis 1:28-31

Isaiah 45:18 God’s original plan

Genesis 3:17-19 the earth radically changed

Genesis 7:11 Man’s sin caused a catastrophic alteration of both the heavens and the earth. It is not how God originally created it.

Romans 8:18-21

2 Peter 3:1ff

Isaiah 11:6–9 animals peacefully co-exist

Isaiah 35:1–2 the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus

Isaiah 40:4; Luke 3:4-5 valleys lifted up, and mountains and hills made low

Isaiah 41:18–19 wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water

Ezekiel 47:1-12 water from the temple

Isaiah 65:17–25; Revelation 21:1-4 new heavens and a new earth

Revelation 21:23-25 no need for sun and moon

Revelation 22:1–6 Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 do not lose heart

Pastor Sean uses the Bible version NRSVue

In part two of our gospel series, we consider how sin separates us from a holy God and causes negative consequences in our lives.

Isaiah 6:1-5 The prophet Isaiah saw God in an incredible vision. This intense experience made him acutely aware of his own sin as well as that of his people.

Isaiah 59:1-4 The people of Israel were mired in sin. It came out of every part of their bodies, their hands, fingers, lips, and tongues.

Isaiah 1:11-17 Even though the people were pursuing evil and taking advantage of the vulnerable, they continued to perform their religious rituals. This hypocrisy greatly offended God.

Isaiah 6:5-13 God called Isaiah to be a witness to the coming judgement in full knowledge that the people would not repent. God had been patient for centuries, but it was time for judgement.

Mark 4:10-12 Jesus saw a parallel to Isaiah’s mission in his ministry. He knew people would reject him and fail to hear his message.

Luke 19:41-44 Like Isaiah, Jesus saw the storm cloud looming on the horizon. About thirty years later, the Jewish people rebelled with the result that the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. (It has never been rebuilt.)

Revelation 20:11-15; 21:7-8 In the end we will each stand before the throne of God. What excuse can you give for your sin then? Today is the day of repentance. Now is the time to get right with God and receive his forgiveness. Then it will be too late.