The Statue's Nose

In a stereotypical thriller fiction the Earth must be saved by finding and replacing the jewel on the nose of some statue. Or maybe it is the Universe itself... hey... it's just imaginary. So our superhero fights all manner of perilous evil and danger... the thick vines of the jungle impeding progress and holding the fate of the Earth at bay... all while the music pounds and roars.... exciting, eh? Lights flashing, thunder and howling winds... dogs with four tails and one leg... our superhero comes into a clearing and finds the motherload of jewels, as far as the eye can see, all sparkly and shiny. Somewhere in it's depths lies the one jewel that was stolen.... or did it fall off and roll there since it is just down the hill from the statue.... who cares... it was the statue that sneezed and blew it there... ehmm... works in this story...

That's one huge pile of jewels there and they all look a lot alike. Suppose we could just start fitting them into that hole on the statue? Might take a while. There is one little problem, put the wrong jewel in and the World blows up.. or was that the Universe collapses... anyway... the other thing is that it has to be made from the same material as the statue or "boom". How do we find that jewel, the one that saves the world? Maybe there was this book... yeah, that's it.... and it said where the jewel would be found. Describes it pretty well too: weight, height, colour, smell... not smell... not that... forget that part... Of course one other thing... once the jewel is put in place the statue sneezes and this whole thing starts over again for some other superhero to save the day once again, but for the moment the world is safe.

Maybe we like to think of such fantastic myths where the world is saved by mystical forces and things, however there are no statues missing bejeweled noses that put the universe in danger. There aren't any one legged four tailed dogs either, not yet anyway. Come on, we like to live in fantasy worlds and deny the reality around us. We seem to think that everything is good and normal and that world's collapse has something to do with ancient and absurd tales about dragons, pagan rites and special calendars that predict the end of time to the very day unless we do something. It is always that we have to do something and the universe will be in balance again... that statue's nose will be whole and we live happily ever after. No proof of anything, nothing that points to reality, just imaginations.

This brings us to the Heidelburg's Lord's Day 6.

Question 16. Why must he be very man, and also perfectly righteous?

Answer. Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which hath sinned, should likewise make satisfaction for sin; and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others.

Question 17. Why must he in one person be also very God?

Answer. That he might, by the power of his Godhead sustain in his human nature, the burden of God's wrath; and might obtain for, and restore to us, righteousness and life.

Question 18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, and a real righteous man?

Answer. Our Lord Jesus Christ: "who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

Question 19. Whence knowest thou this?

Answer. From the holy gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise; and afterwards published by the patriarchs and prophets, and represented by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; and lastly, has fulfilled it by his only begotten Son.

Is this just fantasy? Just some story no different than precious stones and statues, figments of our and our ancestor's imaginations. Is it fantasy to say you and I are sinners? No one is perfect. So, yes, it is true we are all sinners. We are sinners just like those people we read stories about in the Bible. But not only does the Bible talk about how corrupt each person is it also talks about the eventual rescue that takes place. If we really want proof then look at how our lives are filled with straying away from doing what is right. Our own sins are proof enough that what Scripture tells us is accurate when it comes to sin.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We were once the jewel, the thing that reflected light so beautifully, yet we fell out of our place when sin crushed that. No longer reflecting light the way we should, though still reflecting some light, now only a dull shine of what once was . Restoration only possible with a jewel of the same kind and one that could resist the crushing destruction the weight of those sins would bring.

Deuteronomy 15:21 And if it have any blemish, as if it be lame or blind, any ill blemish whatsoever, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto Jehovah thy God.

Without blemish, that means entirely being perfect, only such a sacrifice is good enough. But what then? Then another sacrifice? Over and over again.. Someday there would have to be a sacrifice that both appeases and is permanent. That one precious stone that stops the collapse and also prevents it from ever happening again. If we read through the Old Testament we will see such a thing being told of.

Rom 5:18-19 So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.