These were the Scriptures discussed by our group August 2, 2009
In the last entry, we discussed that Jesus wants to put His mark of "ownership" on us. Who is He, really....and what right does He have to ask such a thing of us, anyway? Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I am?" In today's discussion we are going to look at what both the Old and New Testaments say about this Jesus. We will look at this from four perspectives:
1. Proclaimed in Scriptures: both the Old and New Testaments
2. Approved by God
3. Jesus' testimony
4. Recognized by men
PROCLAIMED IN SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
Matthew1:21-23"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."
Isaiah 9: 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
John 1:1 & 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We can see very clearly from both Old and New Testament passages, that the Child born to us was to be God putting on skin = God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. But was He
APPROVED BY GOD
Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
Matthew 17:1-8 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid." And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
John 12:27-30 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name. " Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes."
We can see that there were numerous times that Jesus was proven to be an extraordinary man, and even more. He definately had been approved by God His Father. Hebrews 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
WHO DID JESUS THINK HE WAS? HERE ARE SOME QUOTES IN HIS OWN WORDS:
John 5:16-18 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 5:39-47 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
John 8:53-59 "Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
To understand what is happening in this verse, you must go back to Exodus 3 which records the conversation between God and Moses at the burning bush:
Exodus 3: 11-14 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
The God name "I AM" is translated as JEHOVAH, the Everlasting, Eternal, Ever-Existant One. Jesus is using the God Name, JEHOVAH: "Before Abraham was, I AM - JEHOVAH." This is why the Jews pick up stones to stone Him, because in their eyes, He has just committed blasphemy.
John 18:1-6 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I AM (He)." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, "I AM (He)," they drew back and fell to the ground.
They drew back and fell to the ground because Jesus was once again using the God Name, JEHOVAH, and the power of that name threw them all to the ground!! What a scene that must have been to witness!!
Jesus was clearly under the impression that He was God before He was born a man.
RECOGNIZED BY MEN
John 1:29-34 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
Matthew 20: 20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
John 20:24-28 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus allows men to worship Him and to boldly call Him GOD. Anytime men try to worship angels, they quickly tell the men to get up and not to worship them because they are servants of the Most High God, just as they also are. This is definately not the case with Jesus.
We have seen from different perspectives that Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man was definitely under the impression that He was God in the flesh. It is proven in Scripture; God His Father approved of Him; He said so Himself; and men testified to this fact also. What further proof do we need? It is because He is not only our CREATOR, but also our REDEEMER, that gives Him the right to put His mark of ownership on us.
The only question that remains is, WILL YOU LET HIM?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd
One of the ladies in our discussion group shared the following on July 26, 2009
The LORD, as our Shepherd, owns us by the fact that HE brought us into being AND repaid for us with his own blood, on the cross.
Therefore, He was entitled to say, “I am the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the Sheep.”
Excerpt from A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23
by PHILLIP KELLER
╬ “…So there remains the moving realization that we have been bought with a price, that we are really not our own and He is well within His rights to lay claim upon our lives.
I recall quite clearly how in my first venture with sheep, the question of paying a price for my ewes was so terribly important. They belonged to me only by virtue of the fact that I paid hard cash for them. It was money earned by the blood and sweat and tears drawn from my own body during the desperate grinding years of the depression. And when I bought that first small flock I was buying them literally with my own body which had been laid down with this day in mind.
Because of this I felt in a special way that they were in very truth a part of me and I a part of them. There was an intimate identity involved which though not apparent on the surface to the casual observer, nonetheless made those thirty ewes exceedingly precious to me.
But the day I bought them I also realized that this was but the first stage in a long, lasting endeavor in which from then on, I would, as their owner, have to continually lay down my life for them, if they were to flourish and prosper. Sheep do not “just take care of themselves” as some might suppose. They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care.
It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways as will be seen in further chapters. Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance.
Yet despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own and delights in caring for us.
It is this last aspect which is really the third reason why we are under obligation to recognize HIS ownership of us. He literally lays Himself out for us continually. He is ever interceding for us; He is ever guiding us by His gracious Spirit; He is ever working on our behalf to ensure that we will benefit from His care.
In fact, Psalm 23 might well be called, “David’s Hymn of Praise to the Divine Diligence.” For the entire poem goes on to recount the manner in which the Good Shepherd spares no pains for the welfare of His sheep.
Little wonder that the poet took pride in the belonging to the Good Shepherd. Why shouldn’t he?
In memory I can still see one of the sheep ranches in our district which was operated by a tenant sheepman. He ought never to have been allowed to keep sheep. His stock were always thin, weak and riddled with disease or parasites. Again and again they would come and stand at the fence staring blankly through the woven wire at the green lush pastures which my flock enjoyed. Had they been able to speak I am sure they would have said, “Oh to be set free from this awful owner!”
This is a picture which has never left my memory. It is a picture of pathetic people the world over who have not known what it is to belong to the Good Shepherd…who suffer instead under sin and Satan.
How amazing it is that individual men and woman vehemently refuse and reject the claims of Christ on their lives. They fear that to acknowledge His ownership is to come under the rule of a tyrant.
This is difficult to comprehend when one pauses to consider the character of Christ. Admittedly there have been many false caricatures of this Person, but an unbiased look at His life quickly reveals an individual of enormous compassion and incredible integrity.
He was the most balanced and perhaps the most beloved being ever to enter the society of men. Though born amid most disgusting surroundings, the member of a modest working family, He bore Himself always with great dignity and assurance. Though He enjoyed no special advantages as a child, either in education or employment, His entire philosophy and outlook on life were the highest standards of human conduct ever set before mankind. Though He had no vast economic assets, political power or military might, no other person ever made such an enormous impact on the world’s history. Because of Him millions of people across almost twenty centuries of time have come into a life of decency and honor and noble conduct.
Not only was He gentle and tender and true but also righteous, stern as steel and terribly tough on phony people.
He was magnificent in His magnanimous spirit of forgiveness for fallen folk but a terror to those who indulged in double talk or false pretenses.
He came to set men free from their own sins, their own selves, their own fears. Those so liberated loved Him with fierce loyalty.
╬ It is this One who insists that He was the Good Shepherd, the understanding Shepherd, the concerned Shepherd who cares enough to seek out and save and restore lost men and women.
He never hesitated to make it quite clear that when an individual once came under His management and control there would be a certain new and unique relationship between Him and them.
There would be something very special about belonging to this particular Shepherd. There would be a distinct mark upon the man or woman that differentiated them from the rest of the crowd.
The day I bought my first thirty ewes, my neighbor and I sat on the dusty corral rails that enclosed the sheep pens and admired the choice, strong, well-bred ewes that had become mine. Turning to me he handed me a large, sharp, killing knife and remarked tersely, “Well, Phillip, they’re yours. Now you’ll have to put your mark on them.”
I knew exactly what he meant. Each sheep-man has his own distinctive earmark which he cuts into one or other of the ears of his sheep. In this way, even at a distance, it is easy to determine to whom the sheep belongs.
It is not the most pleasant procedure to catch each ewe in turn and lay her ear on a wooden block then notch it deeply with the razor-sharp edge of the knife. There was pain for both of us. But from our mutual suffering an indelible lifelong mark of ownership was made that could never be erased. And from then on every sheep that came into my possession would bear my mark.
There is an exciting parallel to this in the Old Testament. When a slave in any Hebrew household chose, of his own freewill, to become a lifetime member of that home, he was subjected to a certain ritual. His master and owner would take him to his door, put his earlobe against the door post and with an awl, puncture a hole through the ear. From then on he was a man marked for life as belonging to that house.
For the man or woman who recognizes the claim of Christ and gives allegiance to His absolute ownership, there comes the question of bearing His mark. The mark of the cross is that which should identify us with Himself for all time. The question is – does it?
Jesus made it clear when He stated emphatically, If a man would be my disciple (follower) let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Basically what it amounts to is this: A person exchanges the fickle fortunes of living life by sheer whimsy for the more productive and satisfying adventure of being guided by God.
It is a tragic truth that many people who really have never come under His direction or management claim that “The Lord is my Shepherd.” They seem to hope that by merely admitting that He is their Shepherd somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life.
One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don’t. Jesus Himself warned us that there would come a day when many would say, “Lord, in Your name we did many wonderful things,” but He will retort that He never knew us as his own.
It is a most serious and sobering thought which should make us search our own hearts and motivations and personal relationship to Himself.
Do I really belong?
Do I really recognize His right to me?
Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?
Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement?
Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I am under His direction?
Do I know rest and repose, besides a definite sense of exciting adventure, in belonging to Him?
If so, then with genuine gratitude and exaltation I can exclaim proudly, just as David did, “The Lord is my Shepherd!” and I’m thrilled to belong to Him, for it is thus that I shall flourish and thrive no matter what life may bring to me.”
The LORD, as our Shepherd, owns us by the fact that HE brought us into being AND repaid for us with his own blood, on the cross.
Therefore, He was entitled to say, “I am the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the Sheep.”
Excerpt from A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23
by PHILLIP KELLER
╬ “…So there remains the moving realization that we have been bought with a price, that we are really not our own and He is well within His rights to lay claim upon our lives.
I recall quite clearly how in my first venture with sheep, the question of paying a price for my ewes was so terribly important. They belonged to me only by virtue of the fact that I paid hard cash for them. It was money earned by the blood and sweat and tears drawn from my own body during the desperate grinding years of the depression. And when I bought that first small flock I was buying them literally with my own body which had been laid down with this day in mind.
Because of this I felt in a special way that they were in very truth a part of me and I a part of them. There was an intimate identity involved which though not apparent on the surface to the casual observer, nonetheless made those thirty ewes exceedingly precious to me.
But the day I bought them I also realized that this was but the first stage in a long, lasting endeavor in which from then on, I would, as their owner, have to continually lay down my life for them, if they were to flourish and prosper. Sheep do not “just take care of themselves” as some might suppose. They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care.
It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways as will be seen in further chapters. Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance.
Yet despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own and delights in caring for us.
It is this last aspect which is really the third reason why we are under obligation to recognize HIS ownership of us. He literally lays Himself out for us continually. He is ever interceding for us; He is ever guiding us by His gracious Spirit; He is ever working on our behalf to ensure that we will benefit from His care.
In fact, Psalm 23 might well be called, “David’s Hymn of Praise to the Divine Diligence.” For the entire poem goes on to recount the manner in which the Good Shepherd spares no pains for the welfare of His sheep.
Little wonder that the poet took pride in the belonging to the Good Shepherd. Why shouldn’t he?
In memory I can still see one of the sheep ranches in our district which was operated by a tenant sheepman. He ought never to have been allowed to keep sheep. His stock were always thin, weak and riddled with disease or parasites. Again and again they would come and stand at the fence staring blankly through the woven wire at the green lush pastures which my flock enjoyed. Had they been able to speak I am sure they would have said, “Oh to be set free from this awful owner!”
This is a picture which has never left my memory. It is a picture of pathetic people the world over who have not known what it is to belong to the Good Shepherd…who suffer instead under sin and Satan.
How amazing it is that individual men and woman vehemently refuse and reject the claims of Christ on their lives. They fear that to acknowledge His ownership is to come under the rule of a tyrant.
This is difficult to comprehend when one pauses to consider the character of Christ. Admittedly there have been many false caricatures of this Person, but an unbiased look at His life quickly reveals an individual of enormous compassion and incredible integrity.
He was the most balanced and perhaps the most beloved being ever to enter the society of men. Though born amid most disgusting surroundings, the member of a modest working family, He bore Himself always with great dignity and assurance. Though He enjoyed no special advantages as a child, either in education or employment, His entire philosophy and outlook on life were the highest standards of human conduct ever set before mankind. Though He had no vast economic assets, political power or military might, no other person ever made such an enormous impact on the world’s history. Because of Him millions of people across almost twenty centuries of time have come into a life of decency and honor and noble conduct.
Not only was He gentle and tender and true but also righteous, stern as steel and terribly tough on phony people.
He was magnificent in His magnanimous spirit of forgiveness for fallen folk but a terror to those who indulged in double talk or false pretenses.
He came to set men free from their own sins, their own selves, their own fears. Those so liberated loved Him with fierce loyalty.
╬ It is this One who insists that He was the Good Shepherd, the understanding Shepherd, the concerned Shepherd who cares enough to seek out and save and restore lost men and women.
He never hesitated to make it quite clear that when an individual once came under His management and control there would be a certain new and unique relationship between Him and them.
There would be something very special about belonging to this particular Shepherd. There would be a distinct mark upon the man or woman that differentiated them from the rest of the crowd.
The day I bought my first thirty ewes, my neighbor and I sat on the dusty corral rails that enclosed the sheep pens and admired the choice, strong, well-bred ewes that had become mine. Turning to me he handed me a large, sharp, killing knife and remarked tersely, “Well, Phillip, they’re yours. Now you’ll have to put your mark on them.”
I knew exactly what he meant. Each sheep-man has his own distinctive earmark which he cuts into one or other of the ears of his sheep. In this way, even at a distance, it is easy to determine to whom the sheep belongs.
It is not the most pleasant procedure to catch each ewe in turn and lay her ear on a wooden block then notch it deeply with the razor-sharp edge of the knife. There was pain for both of us. But from our mutual suffering an indelible lifelong mark of ownership was made that could never be erased. And from then on every sheep that came into my possession would bear my mark.
There is an exciting parallel to this in the Old Testament. When a slave in any Hebrew household chose, of his own freewill, to become a lifetime member of that home, he was subjected to a certain ritual. His master and owner would take him to his door, put his earlobe against the door post and with an awl, puncture a hole through the ear. From then on he was a man marked for life as belonging to that house.
For the man or woman who recognizes the claim of Christ and gives allegiance to His absolute ownership, there comes the question of bearing His mark. The mark of the cross is that which should identify us with Himself for all time. The question is – does it?
Jesus made it clear when He stated emphatically, If a man would be my disciple (follower) let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Basically what it amounts to is this: A person exchanges the fickle fortunes of living life by sheer whimsy for the more productive and satisfying adventure of being guided by God.
It is a tragic truth that many people who really have never come under His direction or management claim that “The Lord is my Shepherd.” They seem to hope that by merely admitting that He is their Shepherd somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life.
One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don’t. Jesus Himself warned us that there would come a day when many would say, “Lord, in Your name we did many wonderful things,” but He will retort that He never knew us as his own.
It is a most serious and sobering thought which should make us search our own hearts and motivations and personal relationship to Himself.
Do I really belong?
Do I really recognize His right to me?
Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?
Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement?
Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I am under His direction?
Do I know rest and repose, besides a definite sense of exciting adventure, in belonging to Him?
If so, then with genuine gratitude and exaltation I can exclaim proudly, just as David did, “The Lord is my Shepherd!” and I’m thrilled to belong to Him, for it is thus that I shall flourish and thrive no matter what life may bring to me.”
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Who Do Men Say that I Am?
In all things, Christ is our example. That being said, we need to ask ourselves, how exactly did Jesus triumph in His life? We could easliy conclude that He "obeyed God", or "followed God's leading". Or, you might believe that since He was the "Son of God", it would be natural that He should succeed in life where others failed. So were does that leave us? Is there any hope for us that we will be able to succed and triumph when we are hit by "life"?
Let's go back to Jesus and follow His example. Jesus knew three important things about His life:
1. He knew Who He was
2. He knew His final destiny
3. He knew the path He would have to take to finish the course
We find that all of these were:
1. Confirmed by the Scriptures
2. Approved by God
3. Recognized by men
Even from a very young age, Jesus knew He was different from those around Him. He had a connection with God that others just did not have. In Luke 2, we learn that at the age of 12, Jesus and His parents went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. On the way home, they realized that Jesus was not with them: they had "lost" Him. In Luke 2: 46-50, it says,
"Then, after three days they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanking and His answers.
When they saw Him, they were astonishd, and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxioulsy looking for You."
And He said to them, "Why is it you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"
But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
We can clearly see that by the age of 12 Jesus already knew that Joseph was not His biological father, but rather God Himself.
Many years later, Jesus asks His disciples a very pointed question, one that each of us must consider how we will answer. In Matthew 16:13-17 & 23...And He was asking His disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
And they said to Him, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
...Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.
I find it interesting that your opinion of Jesus will be effected by how close you walk with Him!
But what does "the Christ" mean? Isn't that just Jesus' last name: Jesus Christ. That word has no real meaning or significance in our day and age. It's meaning has certainly "been lost in the translation"! But what did it mean in the Bible days? What was the emphasis that causes Jesus to comment on how Peter received this knowledge? We must be missing something. And why does Jesus warn them to tell no one? Shouldn't such a magnificant fact be shouted from the rooftops to let everyone know the good news?
In the next few weeks we will be attempting to answer these questions and search the Scriptures to see Who Jesus said He was; because how each of us answers that question will detemine OUR final destination!! Let's enter into a discussion and see if we can come to some logical conclusion!
May You Always,
Triumph In Christ
Let's go back to Jesus and follow His example. Jesus knew three important things about His life:
1. He knew Who He was
2. He knew His final destiny
3. He knew the path He would have to take to finish the course
We find that all of these were:
1. Confirmed by the Scriptures
2. Approved by God
3. Recognized by men
Even from a very young age, Jesus knew He was different from those around Him. He had a connection with God that others just did not have. In Luke 2, we learn that at the age of 12, Jesus and His parents went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. On the way home, they realized that Jesus was not with them: they had "lost" Him. In Luke 2: 46-50, it says,
"Then, after three days they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanking and His answers.
When they saw Him, they were astonishd, and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxioulsy looking for You."
And He said to them, "Why is it you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"
But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
We can clearly see that by the age of 12 Jesus already knew that Joseph was not His biological father, but rather God Himself.
Many years later, Jesus asks His disciples a very pointed question, one that each of us must consider how we will answer. In Matthew 16:13-17 & 23...And He was asking His disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
And they said to Him, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
...Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.
I find it interesting that your opinion of Jesus will be effected by how close you walk with Him!
But what does "the Christ" mean? Isn't that just Jesus' last name: Jesus Christ. That word has no real meaning or significance in our day and age. It's meaning has certainly "been lost in the translation"! But what did it mean in the Bible days? What was the emphasis that causes Jesus to comment on how Peter received this knowledge? We must be missing something. And why does Jesus warn them to tell no one? Shouldn't such a magnificant fact be shouted from the rooftops to let everyone know the good news?
In the next few weeks we will be attempting to answer these questions and search the Scriptures to see Who Jesus said He was; because how each of us answers that question will detemine OUR final destination!! Let's enter into a discussion and see if we can come to some logical conclusion!
May You Always,
Triumph In Christ
Friday, April 17, 2009
Have you ever asked yourself this question?
As Christians, do you ever find that the life described in the Bible seems to be a far cry from where you are, or what your are experiencing in your life? One particular instance that sticks in my mind happened many years ago.
We were living in a small house in Southern California. I always seemed to be just one little step ahead of disaster, and sometimes the disaster seemed to step right on me! I could never seem to "get ahead", or get "a handle" on my life. Circumstances ruled over me and I felt that all I did was run from one emergency situation to the next. I was running in the "emeregency lane" of life: putting out the "fires" burning around me for that day, only to wake up the next and start all over again! Does this sound familiar?
On day, I hit bottom. Overdue bill notices were in the mail, and my dog had jumped the fence and was out running the neighborhood, and now so was I! When I finally returned home, I sat down at my kitchen table and said to God: "Your word tells me that You always cause me to triumph in Christ, and that in all these things I am more than a conquerer. If this is victory, I don't want to know defeat!" I looked at my hands as I continued, "It says that you train our hand for war and our fingers for battle: TEACH ME TO BATTLE AND WIN!"
This blog is dedicated to that end. God lead me on a fantastic adventure to victory in many areas of my life. I have had increadible answers to prayer and I would like to share them with those who are wondering how to PRAY TO WIN!
I hope to explore many wonderful truths in God's word, such as Who our God is, and who we are in Him! He has given us so many precious promises and He is faithful to His Word! I hope you will join me:
To Triumph In Christ
We were living in a small house in Southern California. I always seemed to be just one little step ahead of disaster, and sometimes the disaster seemed to step right on me! I could never seem to "get ahead", or get "a handle" on my life. Circumstances ruled over me and I felt that all I did was run from one emergency situation to the next. I was running in the "emeregency lane" of life: putting out the "fires" burning around me for that day, only to wake up the next and start all over again! Does this sound familiar?
On day, I hit bottom. Overdue bill notices were in the mail, and my dog had jumped the fence and was out running the neighborhood, and now so was I! When I finally returned home, I sat down at my kitchen table and said to God: "Your word tells me that You always cause me to triumph in Christ, and that in all these things I am more than a conquerer. If this is victory, I don't want to know defeat!" I looked at my hands as I continued, "It says that you train our hand for war and our fingers for battle: TEACH ME TO BATTLE AND WIN!"
This blog is dedicated to that end. God lead me on a fantastic adventure to victory in many areas of my life. I have had increadible answers to prayer and I would like to share them with those who are wondering how to PRAY TO WIN!
I hope to explore many wonderful truths in God's word, such as Who our God is, and who we are in Him! He has given us so many precious promises and He is faithful to His Word! I hope you will join me:
To Triumph In Christ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
