Study based on: J. Oswald Sanders, The Incomparable Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1971,

Key verse: Hebrews 7:26: “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens:”

Theme:

1. “The moral perfection of Christ impresses itself on the thoughtful reader of the gospels.In them the evangelists present the portrait of a Man, a real Man, who displays perfection at every stage of development in every circumstance of life.”
2. The symmetry of character of Christ:”The character of our Lord was wonderfully balanced, with neither excess nor deficiency…it has been said that in Jesus’ character no strong points were obvious because there were no weak ones…In the best of men there is obvious inconsistency and inequality, and since the tallest bodies case the longest shadows, the greater the man, the more glaring his faults are likely to be….He was without flaw or contradiction…He maintained very virtue unsullied.”
3. The uniqueness of character of Christ:

• No word He spoke needed to be modified or withdrawn because He never spoke inadvisedly or fell into the evil of exaggeration
• He never apologized for word or action. Christ performed to action,, spoke no word that required apology.
• He confessed no sin.  (John 8:46) “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” was the challenge of Jesus Christ to the Pharisees.  His life was a open book.
• He never asked for pardon.  He felt no remorse or exhibited any fear of future penalty.  He owed no debts, either moral or spiritual.
• He never sought advice from even the wisest men of His day.
• He was at no pains to justify ambiguous conduct.  We would have been unable to refrain from explaining and justifying our seeming neglect, but He was content to leave the passage of time and the unfolding of His Father’s plan to vindicate His enigmatic actions.
• He never asked or permitted prayer for Himself.  He invited Peter, James and John to watch with him, but not to pray for Him. He invites us to pray to Him, but never to pray for Him.

Combination of characteristics: Jesus possessed two natures that were manifested and exhibited simultaneously.  Though always meek and lowly, on occasion, His divine majesty blazed through the veil of His humanity.

To sum up: “He is altogether lovely.” Every element of moral and spiritual beauty resides in Him.  This is the impression conveyed in the word pictures of the four gospels.  In the succeeding chapters it will be our task to examine the glorious colors that emanate from the prism of His holy person and redemptive work.”

Food for thought:

1. It is the Holy Spirit’s work in every Christian that we shall all conform to the image of Christ(Romans 8:29).
2. All we need that pertains to life and godliness has been given to us( 2 Peter 1:3).  We were given the Word of God, we were given the Holy Spirit living in us.
3. We were added to the church where we may be “perfected” in the image of Christ ( Ephesians 4:12-13).
4. Until the day of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is diligently working in us that we may come unto “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” We are God’s project, His “workmanship.” (Ephesians 2:10)
5. We are already the “sons of God” and yet we still do not appear to be sons of God but when Jesus Christ appears, we shall see Him as He is for we shall be like Him.” (1 John 3:2)