Identification with Christ

I was mediating on salvation brought for us through Jesus Christ and all the benefits that He purchased for us.  The bible teaches us that at one time, when we didn't know Jesus, we were far from God but the blood of Jesus had now brought us near. Eph 2:13

I realise afresh that it is all about identification. Think about this....how could God, the Eternal Spirit and Creator of the universe feel what we feel, unless He experienced first hand the limitations of the flesh in which our spirit resides?  And so the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. (Jn 1:14)

For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, Rom 8:3

Jesus, fully God and fully man, and of whom the Word teaches that all things, seen and unseen, were created through Him, (Jn 1:3) came as one of His own. He suffered pain, for He took up our pain and sickness (Isa 53:4) on the Cross and felt the whip across His back, and the driving force of the hammer on the nails. He knew hunger and thirst. (Lk 4:2) He experienced the seasons. His flesh also cried out in exhaustion (Matt 8:24) and despair. (Matt 26:36) He looked on His creation through human eyes and experienced the wonder of a sunset. He tasted the bitter anguish of rejection and was vilified by those who hated Him. Even members of His own family hated Him and He suffered the brunt of their sarcasm. (Jn 7:3-8) He was misunderstood  and disbelieved by many. He rejoiced and He cried. 

The thing is, Jesus fully identified with us. He experienced the full limitation of flesh and hence He know us in the flesh and in the spirit.  And, His compassion for us is heightened because of His experience.

We can only have true compassion for someone when we have walked the same road. Even then, we can never know anyone fully because we are all individuals and experienced things to different levels.  But our experience, being similar, can bring an understanding that creates empathy to anyone travelling the same valley. 

He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. 

Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 2 Cor 5: 15-16

The bible teaches us that when we are born again, our spirit is made alive or quickened when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us.  We therefore can identify with Jesus as a son/daughter of God. We identify with Him through the Spirit,  for the spirit confirms to our heart that we are indeed, children of God.  We also can identify with Jesus by understanding that the Father is also pleased with us as His adopted children and joint heirs with His Son. The Apostle Paul also talks about us identifying with Jesus in His sufferings. This is because, as Jesus warned, the world first hated Him and will also hate us too.  This is becoming much more evident in today's political correct agenda that denigrates Christians for choosing to believe in the Word of God as our final authority on things pertain to matters of life.

Yet for all of this, Jesus has the answer and the comfort for us.  He is able to keep us and heal us and shower us with more of His love.  If you have never experienced Christ’s love and peace, He invites you to ask, as the Word says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”