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then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the
law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later
than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever (Heb 7:27-28). The Son, then,
is our eternal High Priest, who pleads his own offering for sin done once for all. Our Savior,
then, as High and Eternal Priest, must have been a man.

Eighth, not only did our Savior come as the last and greatest prophet, like unto Moses,

and as the High and Eternal Priest, but he came also as the glorious King of Kings, reigning over
the nations in splendor and righteousness. But, if our Savior is to be King, he must come as a
man.

Isaiah 9:6-7 record familiar words about the prophesied coming of this King, For unto

us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his
name shall be called Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of
the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and
over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this
time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the L

ORD

of hosts will do this. From this text alone it

is clear that this King will be male. He is the son given, and he is called Everlasting Father
and Prince of Peace. He sits on the throne of David where he reigns forevermore.

Consider also Hebrews` use of Psalm 45:6-7 in announcing Christ`s reign as king, But

of the Son he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the
scepter of your kingdom. Clearly, this King, as God`s Son, is male. And Jesus himself surely
did not try to disabuse his disciples of thinking of him in kingly ways; just the opposite, he
announced the kingdom of heaven as attached to his coming (Matt 4:17) and proclaimed
himself as ruler of a future kingly realm: Jesus said to the, Truly, I say to you, in the new
world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also
sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel` (Matt 19:28). And, in response to the
question at his trial, are you the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus replied, You have said so. But
I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and
coming on the clouds of heaven (Matt 26:64). Finally, the King of kings and Lord of lords
who comes on the white horse, with eyes like a flame of fire and a sword coming from his
mouth, conquers and reigns as King over all that stands against God (Rev 19:11-21). Clearly,
the Savior who comes as King comes only and necessarily as a man.

Ninth, the incarnate mission and ministry of Jesus required that he come as a man. Yes,

Jesus was the great and final Prophet (cf. Heb. 1:1), Priest (Heb 7-10), and King (Luke 1:32-33;
Col 1:13), and for all these reasons he must have come as a man. But furthermore, the very
ministry Jesus conducted, calling out twelve male disciples, travelling with them over years of
itinerate ministry, presenting himself broadly as a teacher of Israel, and challenging the religious
leaders of the day, required that he be a man. It simply is inconceivable that, given the type of
ministry the Father led his Son to perform, that this could have been accomplished were the
incarnate Savior, instead, a woman.

While this point is true, it could be used wrongly, in my judgment. Upon considering this

point (viz., that the ministry and mission of Jesus could not have been conducted in Israel as it