Austin Bible Church
Jesus Christ was appointed by God the Father to go to the Cross in Eternity Past. God’s appointment was for Jesus Christ only. Eph. 1:3-4.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love” (Ephesians 1:3-4, NASB)
Psalms 2:7 presents a picture of Jesus Christ at the beginning of His Millennium rule. God the Father is responsible for Jesus Christ’s unique birth into humanity. His divine decrees meant this would become reality.
““I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” (Psalms 2:7, NASB)
In Leviticus 2:6, the Grain or Meal Offering portrays Jesus Christ on the Cross. The impeccability of the humanity of Jesus Christ was the basis for appointment by God the Father to go to the Cross. The unleavened loaf represents the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ. The oil represents the Holy Spirit for service and production in the spiritual life based on the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
"'Now when you bring an offering of a grain offering baked in an oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil. 'If your offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil; you shall break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering." (Leviticus 2:4-6, NASB)
God the Father appointed only our Lord to go to the Cross. God the Father appointed the nation of Israel as a client nation. God the Father’s spiritual appointment is election.
Every Church Age believer is elected to a universal priesthood of believers who pray directly to God the Father with no intermediate priest as in the Old Testament. The opportunity of every believer is to make use of the sustaining grace provision provided by God for executing the plan of God for their lives. This can only be done by the intake and application of Bible doctrine and growth to spiritual maturity.
Without the election of Jesus Christ, we as Church Age believers would have no election. We are elected to equal privilege and equal opportunity in Jesus Christ. The Church Age believer’s privilege is called Positional Sanctification. The believer shares the election and destiny of Jesus Christ at salvation. The believer enters into the great plan of God at that point. Both election and predestination are the same as the plan of God - descriptive of the plan of God. Election and predestination apply only to believers who are in the plan of God because of their positive volition.
The free will of Jesus Christ’s humanity had to agree to go to the Cross. In Hebrews 10:5-7, the deity of Jesus Christ spoke as His infant humanity lay in the manger. In Matthew 20:22, our Lord’s disciples were arrogant to think they were impeccable as was Jesus Christ and able to “drink from the cup” which was going to Cross to die spiritually for our sins. In Matthew 26:39, the deity of Jesus Christ wanted His volition to line up with God the Father’s plan. Jesus Christ’s humanity was to do the will of God the Father by His independent and free will.
“Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”“ (Hebrews 10:5-7, NASB)
“But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.”“ (Matthew 20:22, NASB)
“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”“ (Matthew 26:39, NASB)
The Superiority of Christ’s Appointment
In Hebrews 1:9, “You have loved righteousness” indicates His essence and impeccability. “Hated lawlessness” means His character abhors sin. “Your God” refers to God the Father. “Anointed” means this was a permanent appointment. “Oil of gladness” is the indwelling Holy Spirit who sustained Him during the entire incarnation including the time when He was bearing our sins on the Cross. “Your companions” means your partners, your associates. We as believers are His partners and associates.
""YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS."" (Hebrews 1:9, NASB)
The Appointment of Christ is Eternal
The appointment of Christ is eternal. That is why in Hebrews 13 we have an unshakeable kingdom. In Hebrews 1:10, we see His pristine glory as the Creator of all things. In Hebrews 1:11, “They will perish” means this earth will be destroyed.
"And, "YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;" (Hebrews 1:10, NASB)
"THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT," (Hebrews 1:11, NASB)
In Hebrews 1:12, “But You are the same” means Jesus Christ will remain and those in union with Him (positional truth) will remain. Jesus Christ is immutable and we are in Him! Our position in Christ is stronger than any cataclysm that can touch this earth. The earth will fold up as a dirty, corrupt garment meaning it will be destroyed.
"AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END."" (Hebrews 1:12, NASB)