Jesus is the Measure of Man

September 13 1987

Psalm 8 "What is man?"

Jesus Is The Measure Of Man

Intro: The two great questions (so far) are very much related

I. OUR CONCEPT OF GOD WILL INEVITABLY SHAPE OUR CONCEPT OF (MAN) OURSELVES

A. When I consider the heavens, the product of mere chance and the collision of atoms, the moon and the stars, which simply came into being without any force beyond mere chance, WHAT IS MAN? IF 'GOD IS NOTHING', THEN: MAN IS NOTHING!

It may seem like a careless statement but: This is the reason why our society is so deeply in trouble! The 'springs of education' have been polluted, and the 'ocean' is being defiled!

Our children, our youth may not be sophisticated philosophers. But they are not fools— and when we have persisted in teaching in our public schools for the past 50 years or so that the Bible is a myth, and that God did not create the heavens and the earth they begin to get the message: "We have come from nothing . . . and we are going TO nothing! THIS is all there is! WHAT IS MAN? MAN IS NOTHING!"

[It is a frightening thing to "look into the abyss" of nothingness! Youth worker Steve Garber speaks about people: "Going first class on the Titanic..." People work hard and play hard and keep busy and never turn off the music because they are afraid to look into the EMPTINESS FROM WHERE THEY CAME—AND EVEN WORSE, THE EMPTINESS TO WHICH THEY ARE GOING!

This past week in a shocking demonstration of total disrespect for life, in an apparently drug-related or perhaps even 'meaningless act of violence', four pre-teen youths on bikes stabbed a Hispanic man of 30 to death. We are in terrible trouble when our children lose the last vestige of respect for God, for life, for all authority.

But we can expect more and more of this horror when the fear and love of God has been replaced by cynicism and greed and emptiness.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth, and many deaths blamed on other things related to this despair of life's emptiness!

Man is NOTHING where there is no God . . . coming from NOWHERE, and headed for NOWHERE.]

B. When I consider the heavens, the product of a God Who started things long ago, but is either limited in His power— things are out of control- or else He is limited in His compassion— for He doesn't really seem to care, WHAT IS MAN?

WHEN 'GOD' IS 'WHAT WE SAY 'IT' IS, THEN MAN CANNOT KNOW WHO HE IS:

And we get answers like: "Man is god . . ." "EVERYTHING is god..." "Life is sacred . . . all life equally sacred! . . . " "Animal rights." Some of these seemingly great statements and causes actually spring from primitive pantheism or evil spiritism, or faulty concepts of God that serve to degrade humankind!

II. BELIEVING THE SCRIPTURES OPENS THE WAY TO KNOWLEDGE OF MAN

A. When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, WHAT IS MAN?

MAN IS GOD'S CROWNING CREATION! MAN IS SOMETHING WONDERFUL!

An entirely different atmosphere ABOUT THE WAY the Psalmist even asks the question! Reverence, yes! But also the asking of one person to Another Person! This is FAITH speaking! The Psalmist is not merely seeking to find out all by himself— but is asking a God who cares! A God Who reveals Himself to faith!

B. The Genesis account says that we are made in the image of God.

What does that mean?

A theological explanation goes like this:

(1) The "image of God" has two aspects. The natural image, or personality; and the moral image, or holiness.

**PERSONS, with the power to reason and to feel and above all else, perhaps, to choose

** But also HOLY! Made for fellowship with God, they had no shame— they walked and talked with God.

(2) This image has been "marred." In the Fall (Genesis 3) we have the account of how subtle sin is; attacking the integrity of God and His Word. Shame and nakedness follow. Man is exposed to his own separation from God.

C. And yet the Bible would tell us: GOD'S IMAGE STILL REMAINS!

"Thou has made him (MAN) a little lower than the angels.

In the place of vice-regent over Creation.

Marred— the moral image lost— yet person, with intellect and emotion and volition; with immortality! (NOT the same as Eternal Life!); with the capacity and desire to fellowship with God!

III. IN JESUS CHRIST WE SEE WHAT WE MAY BE. HE IS GOD'S COMPLETE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: "WHAT IS MAN?"

A. In His kenosis, His emptying out, His humiliation in leaving heaven's throne and taking on our human flesh, Jesus showed us what we are to be!

He not only taught the Beatitudes: He embodied them! Poor in spirit, a man of sorrows, meek and lowly, pure in heart— and yet above all else, blessed, and conscious of pleasing the Father.

WHAT IS MAN?

**JESUS IDENTIFIES WITH US AND SHOWED US WE CAN LIVE HERE ON EARTH IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER BY THE SPIRIT!

B. But that is not the only answer we have to the question: WHAT IS MAN?!! For in His exaltation, His glorification, Jesus shows us God's purpose for you and for me!

Paul sees this as finished and done: (Ephesians 2:5,6 "(God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.")

John puts it in the future: (I John 3:2) Beloved NOW are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, But we know that when He shall appear we shall be like HIM, for we shall see Him as He is!"

WHAT IS MAN?

**JESUS LIFTS US TO (AT LEAST IN SOME GREAT MEASURE) IDENTIFY WITH HIM .. .AND INVITES US TO SIT WITH HIM IN POWER AND GLORY!

Conclusion:

What is MAN? Who are YOU? Who am I?

If you will let Jesus show you . . .then 10,000 years from now you reign with JESUS over this very real Creation!

WS #375 He Lifted Me