Grace For The Journey

The Bible tells us in Luke 15:2, “The Pharisees and Scribes complained, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”

Who is “this Man” who welcomes sinners and eats with them?  He is, of course, none other than Jesus – God incarnate, fully divine and fully man . . . the Word who was with God, who was God, and who became flesh (John 1:1, 14).  He is Jesus the Messiah, who left the throne room of heaven, took on the flesh of man, lived as a surrendered vessel, and willingly died on an old rugged cross to pay the penalty for sin.

This Man is Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords . . .

Who suffered the tortures of the damned so that you and I might know the eternal blessedness of the redeemed.

In trying to wrap our minds around this profound truth, Charles Spurgeon helps us understand the difficulty when he says ,

“It needs an angel’s tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love.”

Yet this “stoop of love” was done for people like you and me,

Sinners who are desperately in need of a Savior.

How tragic that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law grumbled about this ineffable stoop of love, which they themselves needed so badly!  But, blinded by their own self-righteousness, they could not see themselves as they truly were: sinners, separated from God – “dead men walking,” if you will – in need of This Man, the heaven-sent Savior.

Even the very best of men are only men at best, but not this Man.

This Man is a man like no other.  This Man is the supreme man, the God-man, before whom one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord of all.  This Man is the greatest man in every way, and He is the supreme revelation of God.

This Man is greater than the first man, Adam.

Adam was promised life if he obeyed . . . but disobeyed. This Man was promised death if He obeyed . . . and . . . He obeyed completely . . . and died on a cross for those He welcomed and ate with – sinners like you and me!

This Man is greater than the man Moses.

Moses delivered the people of God out of bondage and into their earthly and temporal Promised Land.  But this Man delivers the people of God out of bondage into their heavenly and eternal Promised Home.

This Man is greater than the prophets.

To be sure, all of the Old Testament prophets were great men, but this Man was greater in rank, power, ministry, and authority.  The prophets were used by God to speak the Word of God; this Man was, is, and forever shall be the very Word of God who has always existed.

This Man is greater than even the high priest of Israel.

He was the one who offered sacrifices for the sins of God’s people.  These sacrifices were mere shadows of the Substance that was to come.  And in the fullness of time, this Man came and offered Himself as the supreme sacrifice, offered once for all, for the sins of God’s people.

But, As incredible as this all is, there is even more.

When this Man welcomes sinners, He welcomes them with a promise that one day they will be sinners no more (Revelation 21:4).  Reader, if you have trusted in Christ’s atoning work on your behalf, that promise includes you!

That’s right . . . Consider This . . .

• This Man, who began a good and perfect work in you, will one day complete what He has started.
• This Man, who has brought you out of the grave, will one day soon bring you into glory.
• This Man loved you just as you were – a vile, depraved, corrupted sinner, an enemy of God.
• Jesus Christ loved you so much that He would not leave you in that

If you have admitted to God and yourself that you are a sinner … that you cannot save yourself … have turned from that sin … have accepted what Christ has done on the cross and the empty tomb … and asked Him to forgive you and be your Savior … when you breathe your last and are received into glory, you will life eternal and all the glories of heaven because of what God has done through This Man.

So . . . have you received this Man as your Savior and Lord?  If not, He is still welcoming sinners today.  Make these glorious promises yours this day!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”