Isaiah 53: 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
It is true that God has given to the human family the greatest of all gifts through His Son Jesus Christ, and even though some individuals may not be aware of it, that sacrifice on Calvary is what gives us the great value we now enjoy. A jewel, or a work of art is only as valuable as the price paid for it, and therefore, it is because of the price paid for us that we have now become so precious in God’s sight.
This doesn’t mean to say that we were not precious before, in our fallen state, but the entrance of sin into our world had greatly depreciated our original value. Persons should understand that if God were to correctly value us after Adam sinned, we would not be worth much, because a dying Adam could only hold his value for so long.
The new Mercedes s550 bi-turbo is worth north of a hundred grand, as it sits gleaming in the showroom, fresh off of the assembly line. But as it is driven off the lot, depreciation takes a large swipe at it, to the tune of ten to fifteen thousand, and it continues to lose value yearly, until one can purchase it after ten years for around twenty-five thousand, even though the original value stood at around 130,000.
When God had originally created man, he then had tremendous value, and as Adam and Eve then stood in the showroom of Eden, gleaming in the image of God, even The Lord was moved to comment that they were very good. But then we were sold, sold under sin, and from then on out man lost much of his original value.
In other words, when because of sin, Adam and Eve were driven off “the lot” (in this case the garden of Eden) they began to depreciate, and were it not for the intervention of Christ they would’ve continued to lose value, until the cold fingers of death would render them fit for the junkyard, even the grave.
In our day there is a great deal of self-importance manifested in some persons, and others walk and talk in pride, not being aware that were it not for Jesus Christ, the value and importance we place on ourselves would be non-existent. Here is what the Bible says about human beings, and our planet, as put into the right perspective. Let’s read:
Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.
17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
But Christ stepped in, and determined to purchase us back to Himself because of what He knew He can do in us, but in the process of doing so, He would pay the ultimate, and the highest price that could ever be paid. It is this intervention that now gives to the human family its extreme worth, and that’s why the Bible cautions us never to under value the price paid for our redemption, nor the cost of human life. Let’s read:
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
The book of Hebrews takes on an entirely different tone from all the rest of Paul’s writings. It is a book filled with clear-cut and sobering truths which bring the seriousness and assurance of our salvation into full view and then it exhorts us not to undervalue or take for granted that which was accomplished for us on Calvary.
The book of Hebrews begins with establishing the fact that The Person who was to lay down His life for the human family, was and still is the greatest gift that can be bestowed on us. Jesus Christ who paid the highest price for our redemption is not merely a good man, or a secondary God, He is the fullness of the God-head bodily. Let’s read:
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
It is important for Paul to establish this fact up-front so that as he proceeds with describing what Jesus went through to save us, we would understand that it is The God of heaven who by His sacrifice has now given to the human family royal status, and because of this, Christ is our greatest treasure. Let’s read:
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Thus, after establishing the fact that it is The Person of God who came to purchase us back, the very next chapter of Hebrews begins with the word therefore, a word which means based upon the foregoing facts or, for that reason. Let’s read:
Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?
That the Son of God should leave the bliss of His heavenly home and come to this earth to die for our sins, that we may have eternal life should cause us to rejoice with trembling, because without Christ’s intervention in our behalf, we would be gazing into a deep abyss, a black hole from which there would be no escape.
Therefore, any and everyone who has been granted that privilege, and the opportunity to be called the sons and daughters of God, should never take such a relationship lightly, for at the end of life’s journey, it makes all the difference between eternal life and death, as we will explain later on in our study.
If all there is to life is to work, pay bills, have some fleeting fun, only to die after a few short years of existence then life would lack purpose and meaning and folks would be driven to despair whenever the transient things of earth do not pan out, as they too often don’t.
But in Christ, we have much more to live for, and to look forward to, and because He has granted to us hope and assurance through His death for us, we’re energized to live with expectancy. Those who live in this world without God and Christ would often have their bubbles popped whenever there is upheaval, disturbance, or when other unsettling events occur.
But the peace of God which passes understanding comes from the knowledge that in Christ, life is now worth the living, and this very fact spawns energy, resilience, and joy, even in the midst of our troubled waters. Hence the reason why the apostle penned the following words, putting into precis form, the two perspectives that face all humanity. Let’s read:
1st John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Thus, in the book of Hebrews, we are told of God’s purposes in sending Jesus to redeem us, and we are reminded of what the incarnation has accomplished permanently for the human family.
Several passages confirm our status as royalty, as a direct result of Christ’s intervention, and there are other passages which show us why we should value ourselves and all other people in harmony with the greatest work that has been accomplished on our behalf.
[1] Through Christ, all those who believe have now become partakers of His own Divine nature. Let’s read:
Hebrews 2: 11 For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
That word “Brethren” is a very sobering word as it pertains to Christ as our greatest treasure, because it must be understood in the context of what came before in Hebrews chapter 1. Remember what Paul says in the first chapter of Hebrews, that Christ is God indeed. But now, he refers to Jesus, and those who believe in Him as brethren. Let’s read again:
Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.
Therefore, the very next logical question is: How did we become “Brethren”? What on earth could have possibly taken place for the God of the universe to have brethren on this planet. It has to do with Christ being our greatest treasure, for the term “Brethren” was not a fanciful designation given us by God just to make us feel good.
It’s a designation that’s the result of the most literal combination of the two; that’s the only legal way to arrive at that terminology. For instance, when the Bible speaks of Jesus as “God with us” that means much more than God associating with us. God did not merely mingle with us, He actually became one of us, and that is the only reason why that term brethren is justified in the context. Let’s read:
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
[2] Because of our new status as “Brethren” we can be assured of victory, because our Elder brother, Christ has never lost a battle, and as brethren we should never lose any battle too.
1st John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
One of the reasons why we often sputter and fail as Christians is because we may not have understood fully the implication of that term brethren, and as a result, our approach to all of life’s difficulties and its problems, often savors of humanistic perspectives.
As Christians we will encounter hurdles, problems, and challenges like everyone else, but the mere fact that we have Christ with us, and in us, should be the game-changer as it pertains to outcomes. Christians are not to handle difficulties the same way that the secular world does, for that term “Brethren” should be ringing in our ears constantly, driving, energizing, and motivating us to trust, obey, believe, and win.
That’s why Paul declares that believers are more than conquerors, for to conquer is one thing, but to be more than a conqueror means that such an one would have the confidence and assurance that the battle is already won. In fact, whenever God would send His people into battle in times past, you would often hear Him say, “Behold, I have given such and such into your hands”.
Thus, being more than a conqueror meant that His people only had to take the victory that was already given to them by cooperating with God and obeying His every word. This understanding of victory tends to develop in us a rugged, bare-knuckled approach to devils and their devices, for in Christ, the battle is not ours, but the Lord’s. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 20:1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
Deuteronomy 2:4 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.
25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee.
Joshua 6:2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.
Joshua 8:1 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
[3] In Christ, we have the seeds of immortality sown already sown in our mortal bodies, which will spring up into everlasting life if we stay the course with Him.
When we become united to Christ on the brethren level, we become partakers of the immortality that is His, and this fact renders us impregnable to such dissolution that’s permanent in nature. The physical body may be laid in the dust, but then the brethren factor comes into play, for just as the grave couldn’t prevent Jesus, the grave cannot prevent “brethren”.
In an age of Covid where so many have died and are still dying, the “brethren” factor would make all the difference and hence the reason why the urgency of the moment, for persons who have already become brethren to seek to make more brethren. Thus, the following passages must be read and understood from the perspective of “Brethren”. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
And now “Brethren”let’s fast forward to the future: Christ has come, the world has been decimated by the brightness of His coming, those who in this life have rejected Christ, our greatest treasure, have been slain, the 1000 years of sabbatical rest have expired, and for the very first time in earth’s history, every human being that was ever born on planet earth is alive contemporaneously.
According to the apostle John, the final conflict of the ages when God will finally put an end to sin, is to be accomplished only after those one thousand years have elapsed. The “Brethren” who have been saved eternally have seen with their own two eyes the extensive efforts made by God to save their lost relatives and friends and the tears have been wiped away from their eyes as a result. Let’s read:
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city.
As Lot, and Abraham stand upon the walls of the New Jerusalem, there in the distance they see Lot’s wife and daughters, with their husbands, coming to fight against God. Some who for years have known the truth, yet have not permitted themselves to be brethren are on the other side of the fence because they knew not that Christ is our greatest treasure.
Heaven will be a place of surprises, for persons who should be there won’t be there and others who may have seemed to be the most unlikely candidates for heaven would be present. The men of Nineveh, and Nebuchadnezzar, will be there, but some who have preached to others are nowhere to be found. Let’s read:
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
1st Corinthians 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air. 27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Close relatives, aunts, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers might make it, while family members may be missing. Persons, who once rejoiced in the truth, behold with remorse and anguish the results of their decisions and choices in this life.
And yes, there would be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, when it is finally realized that our greatest treasure, even The Lord Jesus Christ, was right at our fingertips, but now, is out of reach. And now brethren we beseech you by the mercy of God, to make your calling and election sure.
Those golden opportunities that God has granted us to become brethren, those providences He allows, which speak volumes to our consciences, and the waves of death and despair that have gripped the United States, Brazil, India and Europe, all tell us that it won’t be long before the final irrevocable decisions of the judgement will come down.
Let us then be wise, and not spend our few years on this planet chasing after things which do not satisfy, but let us rather seek to become one with Christ, who indeed is our greatest treasure, for at the end of life’s journey being brethren would have made all the difference.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which exhorts us to choose wisely, live soberly and to walk humbly with God. Let’s read:
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
God Bless!