This is the fourth post in a multipart series—#TweetLikeJesus: Social Media to the Glory of God. For background on the approach taken, see the first post, “Social Media to the Glory of God.”
After the Fall
After humans fell into sin, God not only pronounced a curse, he proclaimed a promise. In Genesis 3:15, he said to the serpent:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.
The offspring of the women—a man—would go to war with the serpent. The serpent would injure this man (bruise his heel). But the man would prevail and destroy the serpent, crushing his head.
The rest of the Old Testament is the story of waiting for this promised champion to appear. Israel’s history is a several-thousand-year wait until an angel appeared to a young virgin and her fiancé. The angel announced Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the Son of God. They are to name this God-Man “Jesus,” because “he will save his people from their sin” and reign forever (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31-33).
Human Purpose in the Life of Jesus
Jesus declares what his purpose is as we hear him saying things like:
John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
John 5:19 “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”
John 6:38“I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
What Jesus is saying here is that he has come to be the perfect representation of the Father. When you see Jesus act, you are seeing what God is like. When you hear Jesus speak, you are hearing what God is like. Jesus is the perfect human being, the perfect image of God.
But where sinful human beings have used their words and abilities to harm one another and for self-glorification, self-advancement, and self-protection, Jesus is radically different. We read in Philippians 2:6-8:
…though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus’ Platform and Brand
Jesus had a “platform” and a “brand.” He was equal with God; he was God.
Jesus did not use his “platform” and “brand” for self-glorification. Instead, “he emptied himself.” He intentionally denied himself for the good and glory of another.
Jesus did not use his “platform” and “brand” for self-advancement. Instead, he took on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” He did not seek his own glory, but the glory of the one who sent him. He did not seek his own good, but the good of those for who he was sent.
Jesus did not use his “platform” and “brand” for self-protection. Instead, he “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” To glorify God and love his people, he put himself in harm’s way. He bore the shame and guilt of our sin when he died under God’s wrath on the cross in obedience to God’s purposes.
His resurrection from the dead was God declaring after his death what he proclaimed at the start of his ministry—“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; cf Romans 1:4). He is the perfect Son, the perfect Image of God.
“Social Media in the Life of Jesus” will be continued in the next post. That post will examine Communication and Technology in the Life of Jesus and offers applications from the Gospel.
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