Jesus – The Mightiest Man of All
The definition of a real man, as I recall from a song I heard long ago went something like this: “…will a real man preach, will a real man-cry, will he tell you that he loves you, will he bleed for you and die; will he love you like a brother, will he help you understand that getting on your knees makes a man.”
In a day where manhood is often portrayed as the gender which fumbles, bumbles and is clueless (in many films and sitcoms like Everybody Loves Raymond) it is no wonder that many boys grow up to continue to act like clueless bumbling fools, whether they take up the nerdy milquetoast image or the macho, “in your face”, gangster hoodlum image; or the freakazoid, “zoned out” lazy sleeper image. The fact is it takes a man to show a boy how to become a man. It is not something you can learn from the TV or a movie, and definitely not something you can learn at school or college. Most men who know what it takes to be a man have learned a great deal of that from their own father or other head of the family. Fortunately for all of us, whether adopted or orphan, or whether you’ve never had a father figure to follow, we have the mightiest man of all to follow, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, the Creator of the Universe:
Colossians 1:15-20 ESV He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him
all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through
him and for him. 17 And he is before all
things, and in him all things hold together.
18
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was
pleased to dwell, 20 and through
him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making
peace by the blood of his cross.
1- God
2- The firstborn
3- The creator
4- The preeminent
5- The sustainer
6- The Head of the Church
7- The Beginning and the End
a. These are all qualities and attributes that are unattainable by us since they define His Deity – the one to follow and imitate.
8-
Reconciler and intercessor
a. Verse twenty mentions this quality – one not only worthy of imitation but the one that sets up the mold we must fill as Jesus’ Mighty Men.
b. We cannot imitate any of the other qualities of Jesus except that of intercessor.
c. Notice how Moses was an intercessor:
Psalms 106:23 ESV Therefore he said he would destroy them-- had
not Moses, his chosen one, stood
in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
• Prayed that God would not destroy His people
• Interceded on their behalf
• Was a gap-closer
• Stood in the breach before God to turn His wrath!
Moses was an Intercessor, a gap closer; imitating the
Son, the Husband; and God has always looked for men who can bridge (stand
between) gaps:
Ezekiel 22:29-30 ESV The people of the land have practiced
extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and
have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand
in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I
found none.
What Jesus did for us is the model of manhood – Bridging Gaps. Only one who is mighty can bridge gaps. We stand gaps when by might we:
1- Surrender – Jesus surrendered what made Him different from us, what set Him apart – His deity. He became one of us momentarily to call us higher to where He is now. His surrender was voluntary and for love – love of us
2- Depend on the Father – by surrendering He had to become dependent on the Father for everything. We see Jesus discarding his thoughts, judgments and opinions and solely being concerned with the Father’s business.
3- Conquer – by surrendering Himself and depending on the Father as opposed to the flesh He was able to conquer all that stood opposed to Him – the world (1John).
4- Establish relationships – bridging gaps is about connecting – connecting the distant, the fearful, and the ignorant – to the power of the Hoy Spirit.
a. Connecting one another to the cross of Christ and the Holy Spirit
b. Leading one another to the model of manhood – Jesus Christ
c. Providing for one another in love
d. Serving one another in spirit and truth
e. Relating is about closing gaps
i. By being peacemakers
ii. By taking the blame
iii. By standing up for each other
iv. By covering others’ sin with our love
v. By extending trust
vi. By giving Hope
Jesus and the Spirit put us back into the Divine Equation. Who will you help put back in? Our might to be able to accomplish this comes by our dependency on the Father, as Jesus modeled that dependency for us. This is beautifully illustrated at the end of the 40th chapter in Isaiah:
Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV Have you not known? Have you not heard? The
LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not
faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he
increases strength. 30 Even youths
shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and
not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
1-
Power to the faint
2-
Strength to the weak – ever wonder why soar, run and walk are put
in that order?
a.
As young men we will soar
b.
As mature men we will run
c.
As mighty men we will walk
Proverbs 24:16 ESV for the righteous falls seven times and rises
again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
We fall only to get back up and continue our walk. What makes is mighty in Jesus is the fact that we get up.
Psalms 18:32-35 ESV the God who equipped me with strength and
made my way blameless. 33 He made my
feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms
can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have
given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and
your gentleness made me great.
1- A mighty man to God
2- A mighty husband to your wife
3- A mighty father to your children
4- A mighty brother to your siblings
5- A mighty neighbor to your community
6- A mighty example to all