God's Word for Us
The Son has been called the “Word” of God. Before incarnating into humanity, He was God’s thoughts made audible to the heavenly hosts and to the worlds without number. Before the throne of the mysterious and infinite Ancient of Days, Christ presented the truth that flowed from His Father. The angelic hosts loved the Infinite One, but they could not relate to Him as they could to His Son. They loved to crowd the Son of God, who was in their form (Ex. 23:23; Hos.12:4,5). They loved to listen to His words of grace and truth. Like Solomon, who was a type of Christ, the prince whose name meant “peace,” and whose servants loved to stand before him and basked in the wisdom and messages of righteousness that poured from his mouth (1Ki. 10:4,5), so the angelic hosts loved to hear the beautiful expressions of the Creator’s will and commandments that flowed from the Prince of Peace. “They all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.” Lk. 4:22. As another symbol of Christ, Ezra, “a ready scribe in the law of Moses,” “the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven,” “after the wisdom of thy God,” (Ezra 7:6,21,25) taught the people the intracacies of the law and explained the meaning of it all (Neh. 8:8). Even so, Christ taught the hosts of heaven the deeper meaning behind His Father, “bringing forth out of His treasure things old and new.” Matt. 13:52. “The only Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” Jn. 1:18.
“No man hath seen God at any time,” (Jn. 1:18) could be said of the angels. Only the covering cherubs that formed a cloud around Him were allowed in the Father’s presence, yet even they looked away (Ex. 25:20). But the Son would come forth daily to help the angels understand His Father. “Who is like God,” Michael, was the name of the Son of the Highest before being given a human name at His incarnation. Michael was so beloved that when He stepped down from the throne of heaven to become a man, the angels felt the emptiness of His absence, and they came with Him. Earth became their new home away from home. Not that they didn’t love surrounding the Father, and not that He didn’t understand their desire to be with His Son; but this fallen planet, which the angels had spurned because of the pain it brought upon their caring Commander, now became the most highly prized place to be. Thus their outburst of praise and song at His birth (Lk. 2:13,14; Heb. 1:6). Thus their readiness to protect Him; for even Satan knew to admit, “In their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.” Matt. 4:6. Thus, Christ realized that if He were ever to command it, 12 legions of angels would immediately appear, ready to create massive desolation, and in the twinkling of an eye, rescue their Master from the hands of insolent sinners. They are “ministers of His, that do His pleasure,” “His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.” Ps. 103:21,20. And thus, a great cloud of His angels gathered to escort Him home again with great joy and victorious fanfare (Acts 1:9-11; Ps. 24:7-10).
As He “who is like God” walked the earth, He simply continued what always was and would again be His work in the heavenly courts. He went where the need was. “I will come and heal him,” (Matt. 8:6) answering to the simplest request for help, had been and is, today, the keynote of His every day life; “Son, be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee,” (Matt. 9:2) anciently and still the keynote of His lifework. His sleep was always sweet and deep, because He knew He was constantly surrounded by His Father’s protection, and that of His heavenly friends. His Father even spoke directly to Him on several occasions: at His baptism, His transfiguration, and just before His crucifixion. This wasn’t as nice as it had been in His Father’s very presence; but Jesus loved to walk by faith, a walk which He was not a stranger to, even in the heavenly courts. His way of life here was simply a continuation of His existence in heaven, and all His idiosyncrasies here demonstrate His character and personality there.
His death for our sins was simply an expression of His ongoing death and open shame by those whom He claimed as His brethren and children. He was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8). His work as our intercessor did not begin after His ascension from Mount Olivet; it had been an ongoing situation since Adam switched loyalties to Christ’s adversary. And even long before the creation of man, He had been an intercessor for the angels, who are infinitely inferior to Him and in great need of His training (Job 15:15), but whom He also claims as His brethren; they, together with us being redeemed and uplifted by His sacrifice. (Rev.5:9,10). In all His training of His disciples we may see that for His angelic hosts. In Judas, the most talented and learned of that little band around Him in Palestine, we can understand the downfall of the greatest angel in heaven. In Christ’s patience and gentleness toward Judas we see His longsuffering toward Lucifer. Yet neither Judas nor Lucifer would accept correction, in spite of all of Christ’s loving attention.
“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. “This same Jesus,” will not have changed at all by the time He returns the second time. The angels said that those disciples could recognize Him at His return, and so can we. During the whole time He ministers as our High Priest, He hasn’t changed one iota from the loving disposition He displayed on earth. He “can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity.” He says, “Behold I and the children which God hath given Me.” (Heb. 5:2; 2:13). He is still just as dependent on His Father as the day in His earthly ministry when He said, “As many as the Father giveth Me shall come to Me.” And He is still just as welcoming as the day He emphatically spoke it on earth, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” Jn. 6:37. Our heavenly High Priest is not beyond our outstretched hands. The earliest church knew this, but it got lost in the falling away that happened after the apostles died. No, Jesus is the same─just as easily accessible, just as easily entreated. We have entry into the Holiest of Holies by His flesh, that is, through the record of His earthly life (Heb.10:19,20). His love for us hasn’t changed. As the Bible writer declared, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” Heb. 13:8.
Since He promises to stay the same patient and loving Master today as always (Heb. 13:5), “then shall the Lord be my God.” Gen. 28:21.
“And again, I will put my trust in Him.” Heb. 2:13.
“No man hath seen God at any time,” (Jn. 1:18) could be said of the angels. Only the covering cherubs that formed a cloud around Him were allowed in the Father’s presence, yet even they looked away (Ex. 25:20). But the Son would come forth daily to help the angels understand His Father. “Who is like God,” Michael, was the name of the Son of the Highest before being given a human name at His incarnation. Michael was so beloved that when He stepped down from the throne of heaven to become a man, the angels felt the emptiness of His absence, and they came with Him. Earth became their new home away from home. Not that they didn’t love surrounding the Father, and not that He didn’t understand their desire to be with His Son; but this fallen planet, which the angels had spurned because of the pain it brought upon their caring Commander, now became the most highly prized place to be. Thus their outburst of praise and song at His birth (Lk. 2:13,14; Heb. 1:6). Thus their readiness to protect Him; for even Satan knew to admit, “In their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.” Matt. 4:6. Thus, Christ realized that if He were ever to command it, 12 legions of angels would immediately appear, ready to create massive desolation, and in the twinkling of an eye, rescue their Master from the hands of insolent sinners. They are “ministers of His, that do His pleasure,” “His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.” Ps. 103:21,20. And thus, a great cloud of His angels gathered to escort Him home again with great joy and victorious fanfare (Acts 1:9-11; Ps. 24:7-10).
As He “who is like God” walked the earth, He simply continued what always was and would again be His work in the heavenly courts. He went where the need was. “I will come and heal him,” (Matt. 8:6) answering to the simplest request for help, had been and is, today, the keynote of His every day life; “Son, be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee,” (Matt. 9:2) anciently and still the keynote of His lifework. His sleep was always sweet and deep, because He knew He was constantly surrounded by His Father’s protection, and that of His heavenly friends. His Father even spoke directly to Him on several occasions: at His baptism, His transfiguration, and just before His crucifixion. This wasn’t as nice as it had been in His Father’s very presence; but Jesus loved to walk by faith, a walk which He was not a stranger to, even in the heavenly courts. His way of life here was simply a continuation of His existence in heaven, and all His idiosyncrasies here demonstrate His character and personality there.
His death for our sins was simply an expression of His ongoing death and open shame by those whom He claimed as His brethren and children. He was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8). His work as our intercessor did not begin after His ascension from Mount Olivet; it had been an ongoing situation since Adam switched loyalties to Christ’s adversary. And even long before the creation of man, He had been an intercessor for the angels, who are infinitely inferior to Him and in great need of His training (Job 15:15), but whom He also claims as His brethren; they, together with us being redeemed and uplifted by His sacrifice. (Rev.5:9,10). In all His training of His disciples we may see that for His angelic hosts. In Judas, the most talented and learned of that little band around Him in Palestine, we can understand the downfall of the greatest angel in heaven. In Christ’s patience and gentleness toward Judas we see His longsuffering toward Lucifer. Yet neither Judas nor Lucifer would accept correction, in spite of all of Christ’s loving attention.
“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. “This same Jesus,” will not have changed at all by the time He returns the second time. The angels said that those disciples could recognize Him at His return, and so can we. During the whole time He ministers as our High Priest, He hasn’t changed one iota from the loving disposition He displayed on earth. He “can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity.” He says, “Behold I and the children which God hath given Me.” (Heb. 5:2; 2:13). He is still just as dependent on His Father as the day in His earthly ministry when He said, “As many as the Father giveth Me shall come to Me.” And He is still just as welcoming as the day He emphatically spoke it on earth, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” Jn. 6:37. Our heavenly High Priest is not beyond our outstretched hands. The earliest church knew this, but it got lost in the falling away that happened after the apostles died. No, Jesus is the same─just as easily accessible, just as easily entreated. We have entry into the Holiest of Holies by His flesh, that is, through the record of His earthly life (Heb.10:19,20). His love for us hasn’t changed. As the Bible writer declared, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” Heb. 13:8.
Since He promises to stay the same patient and loving Master today as always (Heb. 13:5), “then shall the Lord be my God.” Gen. 28:21.
“And again, I will put my trust in Him.” Heb. 2:13.
posted by David | 11:54 AM
2 Comments:
I am SO thankful for the patience of God. His longsuffering is to be praised and His mercy is worthy of honor. He keeps believing in us, long after we have given up on ourselves. What amazing love!!
Amen, Amen, Amen!
Post a Comment
<< Home