Friday Morning Manna
September 6, 2019
Nathaniel Fajardo email:[email protected]
From Whom Did the Second Adam Obtain His Humanity? His Divinity?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1: 1. 4, N.K.J.V. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” v 14.
“He is the [visible] image of the invisible God, He is the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through [by, KJV] Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Col. 1: 16.
Not only were all things in heaven and on earth created by and through Him but–for Him! The Creator who, in the incarnation became “the second or last” Adam (1 Cor. 15: 45-47) not only owns everything by virtue of Him having created all things but doubly owns all by inherent original ownership. He made all for Him, and this by the divine authority, power, wisdom of the Godhead. This comprehends the astounding revelation, “in Him all things consist,” i.e., in heaven or on earth, visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. There is absolutely nothing outside or beyond Him that is not in and of Him. He needs absolutely no one or anything to do or accomplish whatever He desires to do, in heaven or on earth, from eternity past to eternity future. The humble, trusting believer can triumphantly and boldly declare to “the world, men and angels,” Jesus is everything to me!
Anyone or any institution who attempts or claims to have any such exclusive divine powers is not of God but of the one whom both the Living and Written Word identifies as saying in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14: 13, 14.
“When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Col. 3: 4.
The Living Word was Made Flesh
“The second or last Adam” is the “living Word of God” (Rev. 19: 13), “the Word of life” (1 John 1: 1) from and in the beginning, who “was made flesh” but only in the appointed time “when the fulness of time had come” (Gal.4: 4). He is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1: 15; 2 Cor. 4: 4); “the brightness of His [Father’s] glory [both character and external luminescence] and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1: 3). He is “the only-begotten of the Father” (John 1: 14), “the only begotten-Son” (John 1: 18; 3: 16); the “Judge of all the earth” ( ).
He is the penitent sinners’ only “merciful High Priest who was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 2: 14-18); the all-powerful Advocate, Comforter, Intercessor and Mediator before the Father in the heavenly sanctuary—not in any sanctuary, tabernacle, temple, mosque, church edifice or any physical place of worship on earth. However, His personal presence on earth and in the hearts of His followers is through His one and only vicegerent who is not a human beingbut the third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. John 14: 16-18; 15: 8-14.
“The Holy Spirit is Christ’s Representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore, it was for their [all disciples, then and now] interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His Successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Holy Spirit the Savior would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.” E. G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 669.
We repeat: Jesus Christ, the promised Seed, the Word made flesh, the second or last Adam is the only-begotten Son of the Father—as in “first and last,” “once and for all.” He is the eternal begotten of God the Father— definitely not and never of the alleged “God the Mother.” Such a claim can never be found or deduced in any way, form or manner (without doing violence to the whole truth of the gospel) from either: the Living Word that was made flesh, the Spoken word, or the Written word, as “it is written,” “thus says the Lord.” It is gross ignorance at the very least, and blasphemous at its worst. For: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8: 20.
He is the one and only Source of all things eternal: eternal life, eternal light, eternal truth, eternal love, eternal glory, and saving grace (the latter only in this side of the resurrection morning grace is for the sole purpose of salvation from sin in man’s sinful nature, on fallen earth; thus, there is no “eternal grace”). No one “can come to the Father except through Him who is the way, the truth and the life” (John 14: 6). In Him alone is life original, unborrowed, and underived—as shared with the Godhead. “For there are Three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; these three are one.” 1 John 5: 7.
But since God the Father and the Holy Spirit are “spirits” (John 4: 24; 3: 8), therefore, invisible. “No one has seen God at any time. The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1: 18. When in childish ignorance Philip requested of Jesus: “Show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus replied: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, Show us the Father?” (John 14: 7-9). The second or last Adam is “the fullness of the Godhead, bodily.” (Col. 1: 19; 2: 9).
The “bodily” manifestation of the “express image” of the invisible Father’s very “person” in His only-begotten Son was eloquently declared by the beloved disciple in behalf of all the rest for our benefit: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested to us—what which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and the with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1: 1-4.
The gospel prophet triumphantly declared of Him, addressing in one breadth both His humble birth in the incarnation and His changeless divinity as Almighty God Creator: “For unto us a Child is born,unto us a Son is given; and the government [of God] will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9: 6). Apostle Paul refers to the same “mighty God” in the context of His second coming: “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2: 13).
Before anything was in existence or anything was made/created that was made, Jesus was/is the uncreated only-begotten Son of the Father. His timelessness is described in the written word in such a manner that we finite, mortals may be able to wrap our minds around this unfathomable yet revealed divine mystery. Thus, He is revealed as: “The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and last.” Rev. 21: 6; 22: 13. “Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13: 8).
Jesus told the doubting Jews who scorned Him: “Yet you have not known Him [the Father]. And if I say, I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you: but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it [in vision] and was glad. Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8: 53-58). Moses had already met Him. “Then Moses said to God, Indeed when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” Exo. 3: 13, 14).
The Written Word of God
The Holy Scriptures, the Bible, is God’s living, written word. Immediately after His water baptism by immersion in the Jordan by John the Baptist, the last Adam was led by the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, to the wilderness of temptation. His battle with Satan, the enemy of God and man, It clearly reveals the truth that promised “seed of the woman,” the “last or second” Adam” would have a human mother, on earth, for only thirty-three and a half years—known to all and sundry as the virgin Mary.
In the genealogy given by Luke, she is known as the daughter of Heli. (See Luke 3). The Greek Heli, is a transliteration of the Hebrew Eli. “Probably the father of Joseph, appearing in Luke’s genealogy of Christ (Luke 3: 23). Some prefer to read verses 23, 24 as follows: ‘And Jesus began at the age of about 30 years, being the son (it was thought, of Joseph) of Heli, the son of Matthat . . . They assume that the genealogy in ch 3 is that of Mary, and consider Heli to be that father of Mary and thus the actual, not merely the legal, grandfather of Jesus.” – SDA Bible Dictionary, Commentary Reference Series, Vol. 8.
But similarly certain is that the virgin Mary was never designated by either the living Word of God, Christ Himself, neither by the written Word the Holy Scriptures, as the “Queen of heaven”—a term repeated so often by both religious and secular authorities–it has assumed the nature of a “gospel truth” though nowhere found in the Holy Scriptures. It is one the “many inventions of man” based on traditions and church teachings. As the ultimate wise man Solomon wrote by virtue of inspiration and experience: “Truly, this only I have found; that God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.” Eccl. 7: 29.
Nowhere in the written Word is it ever implied or suggested, much less specified that it was Mary’s fallen human nature that would give the “second or last Adam” His human nature. Much less so, as alleged, that she imparted to or endowed upon Jesus Christ, her “sinless nature.” The word “immaculate” means “spotless, pure; unstained; undefiled; without blemish.” The official Roman Catholic Church dogma of the “Immaculate Conception,” which was settled in 1854 among themselves, was that the virgin Mary was “conceived and born without original sin.” Again, you will never find such an assertion anywhere the Holy Scriptures.
Who then, according to God’s Word was Mary? Her parents?
Two Bible Dictionaries provide the following condensed information: First, the SDA Dictionary Commentary Reference Series, Vol. 8, and A Bible Dictionary (Presbyterian): Emphasis and notes provided:
“The mother of Jesus (Matt. 1: 18). That she was of the line of David is suggested in Rom. 1: 3 (cf. Acts 2: 30; 13: 23; 2 Tim. 2: 8). Mary, as well as Joseph, her husband, lived at Nazareth (Luke 1: 26; 2: 39), and there the angel Gabriel appeared to her and revealed that she was to be blessed above all women, for upon her was to be bestowed the supreme privilege coveted by women in Israel for many generations; she was to be the mother of ‘the Son of the Highest;’ ‘the Son of God’ (ch 1: 26-35). . . .
NOTE: Becoming the earthly mother of ‘the Son of God, ‘the Son of the Highest,’ was the highest and most lofty privilege coveted by the women of Israel for many generations since the first promise and prophecy was made to Eve by God after the fall. Gen. 3: 15. When Eve gave birth to her first son, Cain, she excitedly said “I have gotten a man from the Lord” (Gen. 4: 1), believing Cain was the promised “seed” only to turn out to be the first murderer and vagabond of the earth. Mary was merely chosen above all women, including Eve, to fulfill that role.
“Mary stood near Jesus while He was upon the cross, and Jesus commended her to the keeping of His disciple John, who ‘from that hour . . . took her into his own house.’ (John 19: 25-27). The Scriptures have nothing more to say of Mary except that she was present “with other women, Jesus’ brothers and His disciples who, after His ascension had gathered together in an upper room in Jerusalem “and all continued in with one accord in prayer and supplication’ ‘in those days’ beforethe day of Pentecost (Acts 1: 14).
NOTE: This is the very last mention of Mary in the Bible. Here the Scriptures do not even specify whether she was part of those who later received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the day of Pentecost arrived.
“[However] tradition relates that Mary accompanied John to Ephesus many years after the crucifixion, and spent her closing years in that city. The Bible nowhere justifies an exaltation of Mary such as is found in the Roman Catholic Church. The Bible does not call her the Mother of God, nor is she shown to be the dispenser of grace, in common with all others. Most of the Catholic teaching regarding her is based upon pagan concepts and apocryphal legend.”- (see SDACom 5:680, 681/SDA Bible Dictionary Commentary Reference Series, Vol. 8, art. “Mary.”
(To be continued next week)