- Jul 3, 2014
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(Jeff keeps on writing...)
We talk often of atonement (at-one-ment), but usually, if not always, see it only as something that occurred when Christ died. To us, it's in His death that atonement is realized. When talking of this subject, one of our favorite passages to quote from is Isaiah 53, verse 4 of which reads, "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering..." The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, which is what Christ and the Apostles quoted from) reads slightly differently, "He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases."
Now, since we usually see this as only being fulfilled at Christ's death, we imagine that all of our sicknesses and diseases were poured onto Christ, and that they constituted part of His suffering. The Gospel writers, Matthew in particular, seemed to have a different view. In Matthew 8:14-16, Jesus is recorded as healing many and casting out demons long before His death. The Gospel writer, in response to this, says, "This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.'" (Matthew 8:17)
You see, one of our favorite atonement passages, Isaiah 53, according to the Biblical writers themselves, is not limited to the death of Jesus. The healing aspect of the atonement, according to Matthew, was fulfilled, not in the death of Jesus, but in His life! God had come and united Himself with the dirty and diseased flesh (sarx) of humanity, and by doing so opened the door for transformation and healing. As an interesting side note, the oft quoted Isaiah 53:5, "by His wounds we are healed", is never, ever interpreted as referring to physical healing in the New Testament. Verse 4 is the only Isaiah 53 reference to physical healing. The atonement "began" the moment that God breathed His first breath as a human in the person of Jesus Christ. Divinity invaded humanity, and God and man were united - at-one! God did not need to lay diseases upon His Son and then beat them out of Him in order for health and healing to be made available, He only need to join Himself with us.
Atonement is realized in the entire eternal existence of Christ, and not merely in one event within His existence. It is not death that God is fixated on, but life! Yes, His death is a part of atonement, but so is His earthly life and His, His resurrection, ascension, and continued heavenly life. Everything that Christ was, is and will be, is what you and I are at-one with. Atonement, or, at-one-ment, is being united to the Godhead through the person of Christ, and having your life so joined to His, that His existence is your existence, and His experience your experience.
Atonement = at-one-ment, union, with Christ's life, not just His death.
We talk often of atonement (at-one-ment), but usually, if not always, see it only as something that occurred when Christ died. To us, it's in His death that atonement is realized. When talking of this subject, one of our favorite passages to quote from is Isaiah 53, verse 4 of which reads, "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering..." The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, which is what Christ and the Apostles quoted from) reads slightly differently, "He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases."
Now, since we usually see this as only being fulfilled at Christ's death, we imagine that all of our sicknesses and diseases were poured onto Christ, and that they constituted part of His suffering. The Gospel writers, Matthew in particular, seemed to have a different view. In Matthew 8:14-16, Jesus is recorded as healing many and casting out demons long before His death. The Gospel writer, in response to this, says, "This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.'" (Matthew 8:17)
You see, one of our favorite atonement passages, Isaiah 53, according to the Biblical writers themselves, is not limited to the death of Jesus. The healing aspect of the atonement, according to Matthew, was fulfilled, not in the death of Jesus, but in His life! God had come and united Himself with the dirty and diseased flesh (sarx) of humanity, and by doing so opened the door for transformation and healing. As an interesting side note, the oft quoted Isaiah 53:5, "by His wounds we are healed", is never, ever interpreted as referring to physical healing in the New Testament. Verse 4 is the only Isaiah 53 reference to physical healing. The atonement "began" the moment that God breathed His first breath as a human in the person of Jesus Christ. Divinity invaded humanity, and God and man were united - at-one! God did not need to lay diseases upon His Son and then beat them out of Him in order for health and healing to be made available, He only need to join Himself with us.
Atonement is realized in the entire eternal existence of Christ, and not merely in one event within His existence. It is not death that God is fixated on, but life! Yes, His death is a part of atonement, but so is His earthly life and His, His resurrection, ascension, and continued heavenly life. Everything that Christ was, is and will be, is what you and I are at-one with. Atonement, or, at-one-ment, is being united to the Godhead through the person of Christ, and having your life so joined to His, that His existence is your existence, and His experience your experience.
Atonement = at-one-ment, union, with Christ's life, not just His death.
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