John 3:16 POST TWO

The Father obviously gave control of this earth to the Son. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 shows that what Christ is doing in the plan of salvation is to buy the world back that Adam sold. He was already king of the universe ruling with the Father from eternity, but when all is said and done here He will also be king of this world too. He’ll have the place Adam once had.

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."

So this verse is an overview of all of human history. We talked already about how the story of the world can be summed up into a few distinct phases. God gave the universe a demonstration of just how bad things would get under sin before the flood, then He gave us a chance to recover ourselves through obedience, but that didn’t work either since we are no longer capable of obeying on our own. Finally when Jesus came He did for us what we can’t do for ourselves. This text describes the final phases of history. Since Jesus rose from the dead He can now give the promise to those who seek Him that He will raise them up when He returns again. “Then comes the end” refers to a time after when the wicked will be punished for their sins. In just a little bit we’ll briefly discuss what that punishment will entail. This earth, once cut off from God the Father by sin, will then be given back to Him by His Son, Jesus, the king of this world. The earth will regain the place in the universe it once had.

Of course when Jesus did come to earth He looked like any other human being. It was the combination of the miracles He performed and the prophecies He fulfilled that proved He is the Messiah. In Acts 2:22-24 Peter said “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

It was not possible for death to hold Him because death is the penalty for sin and Jesus never sinned. This is according to Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Peter continues in Acts 2:25-32 with:
"For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ "

"Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses."

The fact that Peter comments the way he does shows that he and the rest of the early church finally understood what the coming of the Messiah really meant. Before the cross everyone within the realm of God’s people was looking for an earthly king to free Israel from the Romans. However, Jesus as a heavenly King came to free them from sin itself. What happened over time is that people had misinterpreted the prophecies of Jesus coming. Instead of a spiritual leader they were looking for a political one. This is why Jesus said in Luke 20:41-44 “And He said to them, ‘How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?’ ‘Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: “The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Therefore David calls Him “Lord”; how is He then his Son?”