Jesus Christ Immutable

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Hebrews 13:7

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God: whose faith follow…

I. First, the personal names of our Lord here mentioned — "JESUS CHRIST." "Jesus" stands first. That is our Lord's Hebrew name, "Jesus," or, "Joshua." The word signifies, a Saviour, "for He shall save His people from their sins." It was given to Him in His cradle. Jesus in the manger deserves to be called the Saviour, for when it can be said that " the tabernacle of God is with men, and He doth dwell among them," there is hope that all good things will be given to the fallen race. He was called Jesus in His childhood — "The Holy Child Jesus." He was Jesus, too, and is commonly called so both by His foes and by His friends in His active life. It is as Jesus the Saviour that He heals the sick. But He comes out most clearly as Jesus when dying on the cross; named so in a writing, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." There preeminently was He the Saviour, being made a curse for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Still bearing the name of Jesus, our Lord rose from the dead. He is a Saviour for us since He vanquished the last enemy that shall be destroyed, that we, having been saved from sin by His death, should be saved from death through His resurrection. Jesus is the title under which He is called in glory, for "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." As Jesus He shall shortly come, and we are "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." There are two words in the name Jesus. The one is a contraction of the word "Jehovah," the other is the word which I have just now explained to you as ultimately coming to mean "salvation." Taken to pieces, the word Jesus means Jehovah salvation. You have the glorious essence and nature of Christ revealed to you as Jehovah, "I am that I am," and then you have in the second part of His name His great work for you in setting you at large and delivering you from all distress. Now reverently consider the second title — Christ. That is a Greek name, a Gentile name — Anointed. So that you see you have the Hebrew Joshua, Jesus, then the Greek Christos, Christ; so that we may see that no longer is there either Jew or Gentile, but all are one in Jesus Christ. The word Christ, as you all know, signifies anointed, and as such our Lord is sometimes called "the Christ," "the very Christ"; at other times "the Lord's Christ," and sometimes "the Christ of God." He is the Lord's Anointed, our King, and our Shield. This word "Christ" teaches us three great truths.

1. It indicates His offices. He exercises offices in which anointing is necessary, and these are three: the office of the King, of the Priest, and of the Prophet. But it means more than that.

2. The name Christ declares His right to those offices. He is not King because He sets Himself up as such. God has set Him as King upon His holy hill of Zion, and anointed Him to rule. He is also Priest, but He has not taken the priesthood upon Himself, for He is the propitiation whom God has set forth for human sin. He comes not as a prophet who assumes office, but God hath anointed Him to preach glad tidings to the poor, and to come among His people with the welcome news of eternal love.

3. Moreover, this anointing signifies that as He has the office, and as it is His by right, so He has the qualifications for the work.

II. His MEMORABLE ATTRIBUTES. Looking at the Greek, one notices that it might be read thus, "Jesus Christ Himself yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." The anointed Saviour is always Himself. He is always Jesus Christ; and the word "same " seems to me to bear the most intimate relation to the two titles of the text, and does as good as say that Jesus Christ is always Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. If the goodly fellowship of the prophets could be here to-day, they would all testify to you that He was the same in every office in their times as He is in these our days.

1. Jesus Christ is the same now as He was in times gone by, for the text saith, "The same yesterday, and to-day." He is the same to-day as He was from old eternity. Before all worlds He planned our salvation; He entered into covenant with His Father to undertake it. Whatever was in the heart of Christ before the stars began to shine, that same infinite love is there to-day. Jesus is the same to-day as He was when He was here on earth. When He tabernacled among men, He was most willing to save. Blessed be His name, Jesus Christ is the same to-day as in apostolic days. Then, He gave the fulness of the Spirit. We have had great enjoyments of God's presence; we do remember the love of our espousals, and if we have not the same joys to-day, it is no fault of His. There is the same water in the well still, and if we have not drawn it, it is our fault.

2. Now, further, Christ shall be to-morrow what He has been yesterday and is to-day. Our Lord Jesus Christ will be changed in no respect throughout the whole of our life.

III. OUR LORD'S EVIDENT CLAIMS.

1. If our Lord be "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," then, according to the connection of our text, He is to be followed to the end. If the Lord is still the same, follow Him till you reach Him. Your exit out of this life shall bring you where He is, and you will find Him then what He always was.

2. The next evident claim of Christ upon us is that we should be steadfast in the faith. Notice the ninth verse: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines."

3. If Jesus Christ be thus immutable, He has an evident claim to our" most solemn worship. Immutability can be the attribute of none but God.

4. He claims also of us next, that we should trust Him. If He be always the same, here is a rock that cannot be moved; build on it.

5. And, lastly, if He is always the same, rejoice in Him, and rejoice always.

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