The Son’s Perfect Life II

We learned last time about the necessity and importance of Christ’s perfect life. Now, we will explore more concerning the overwhelming testimony of the Scripture about the sinlessness of the Son.

THE TESTIMONY OF HEAVEN

…and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased

Matthew 3:17

The passage above was declared at Christ’s baptism (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) and transfiguration (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7).

It displays the Father’s delight towards the Son (Matthew 3:17, 17:5). These words came from heaven …A voice from heaven… which is the abode of God Himself. Don’t forget that the Spirit descended on Him in v.16. The object is none other than but the Son and He was addressed by the Father with these words …My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, and the command followed…listen to Him! This command is added in the transfiguration passage.

This phrase is also found in the Messianic prophecy (Isaiah 42:1)… my chosen one in whom I delight. To delight means to be pleased with, to be satisfied by another. The Father is satisfied with His Son. That’s why creation is not necessary. From eternity past, the Father loves the Son through the Spirit and the creation, no matter how startling and beautiful they are in our sight cannot be compared to God’s special love for His Son.

Paul Washer puts it plainly that, God’s testimony concerning Christ proves His sinlessness. The Most Holy can only delight in the Most Holy. The slightest sin would have turned God’s smile into a frown (Discovering the Glorious Gospel).

THE TESTIMONY OF THE SON

How did Christ describe His obedience?

HIS UNFAILING OBEDIENCE

And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

John 8:29

The most significant word in this verse is “always.” Any fallen man cannot even make a claim to perfect obedience, but Christ claims obedience that is not only perfect but also perpetual or unbroken. He was obedient, without even the slightest flaw, throughout the entire course of His life. He does what is pleasing to the sight of Him who sent Him. What an astonishing reality to know that our Savior pleases the Father always and the Father is very well pleased indeed.

How did Christ glorify the Father?

HIS GLORIFYING ACCOMPLISHMENT

I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do.

John 17:4

We are all called to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), but who is able to do it completely? As we have learned before, Jesus came to earth to do the will of God the Father. The Father’s will is His greatest priority and He came to do it. In doing it, he claimed perfection before the Father who knows all things. On the contrary, but the best of God’s servants can only say “We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done” (Luke 17:10).

THE TESTIMONY OF THE WORLD

It is one thing to hear good testimony from those who like you, it is quite different to hear it from those who are against you. Even those who rebelled against, mocked and betrayed Jesus Christ, testified to his undeniable perfection.

Matthew 27:3-4 – Judas recognized Christ’s innocence.

Matthew 27:19 – Pilate’s wife called Christ a righteous man.

Matthew 27:23-24; Luke 23:4, John 18:38, 19:4 – Pilate found no guilt in Christ. He found no grounds to accuse Christ.

Luke 23:39-41 – The thief saw that Christ had done nothing wrong.

Luke 23:47 – The centurion testified that Christ was innocent

The overall testimony of all people in the Scriptures to Jesus’ life on earth is SINLESS PERFECTION.

THE TESTIMONY FROM THE EPISTLES

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

This is one of the most comforting passages in all of the Scripture. The saint who struggles can always find refuge in the sinlessness of the Son. These words show the nature and the limits of this sympathy of Christ. He suffers with His people, not merely showing compassion to those who are suffering and tempted, but taking to Himself a joint feeling of their weaknesses. He can do this because He has passed through trial, has Himself been tempted (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers). Jesus was tempted in all things common to our frail human condition.

In our weakness, we usually fall before lesser temptations, and we are therefore rarely confronted with greater ones (Hebrews 12:4, Luke 22:44). But Christ prevailed over the lesser temptations common to all and over the greatest that no other man has ever faced. What a high priest we have. The high priests in the Old Testament must be prepared or they would die before the presence of the Holy God. But our Great High Priest died that we may not die before the thrice Holy God.

Christ knew no sin (II Corinthians 5:21), and in Him, there was no sin (I John 3:5).

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens;

Hebrews 7:26

Four adjectives are used in this passage to describe our High Priest. He is “holy” [Greek: hósios]; this indicates the state of one who is undefiled by sin, free from evil, and morally pure. He is “innocent” or “harmless” [Greek: ákakos]. This refers to the one who is innocent of destructive evil or malice. He is “undefiled” [Greek: amíantos]. This can also be translated, “unsoiled” or “unstained.” And He is “separated from sinners”. This refers to the great distinction between Christ and mankind—He was without sin.

Christ’s blood was precious because He was the Lamb unblemished and spotless.

but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

1 Peter 1:19

 Again, significant adjectives are used by Peter to describe the impeccability of the Son. He is “unblemished” [Greek: ámomos]. It refers to that which is faultless or without blame. He is “spotless” [Greek: áspilos]. This pertains to that which is “without spot, unsullied or unstained, free from censure or reproach.” According to the law, the sacrificial lamb had to be free from all defects (Leviticus 22:20-25; Numbers 6:14; 28:3, 9). Thus the Christ had to be free from all sin.

In Scripture, the mouth or speech of an individual is an indicator of the condition of the heart (Isaiah 6:5; Matthew 15:18). Christ’s speech was without deceit because His heart was without deceit.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE SCRIPTURE ABOUT OUR NEED OF JESUS

We are sinners,. We have a bad record before the Father who knows all things. None is righteous! The Scripture strongly affirms this. It is man’s universal description and our relationship to God is describe as not neutral but adamantly opposed to His will (Ecc 7:20, Romans 1:18ff, 3:23).

Only the just could give Himself for the unjust that He might bring them to God (I Peter 3:18).

Only a sinless Savior could give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Once you trust in Jesus’ blood and righteousness, you will be clothed with His righteousness. This is God’s way of rescuing sinners from the depths of their sin, and lifting them up, higher than even Adam was before he sinned (H. Bonar, Absolutely Basic). This is indeed good news! We acknowledge our corruption and unrighteousness, yet in Christ, who perfectly obeyed all righteousness that we can never do. we are indeed declared righteous before the sight of God. Put your faith in Him and be as white as snow.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

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