Starting a new blog on Jesus

“Search the scriptures; for…they are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39).

It seems strange to start a new blog to show Jesus in scripture. Shouldn’t it be the overarching assumption that Jesus is central in the whole Bible? Yet, Jesus is often left out of sermons and books that present Bible topics and lessons. This has a precedent. “The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth…had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified.” Desire of Ages, p. 36. As the Jews ceased to see the larger, more glorious Antitype in the types, so Christianity has ceased to see Jesus in all the scriptures that He wrote to testify of Himself. And Satan has had everything to do with this.

“The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed…. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.” Ibid.

“For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” (Rom. 2:24).

Thus, the devil could easily substitute himself in the place of Christ and impart his corrupting spirit in the place of the purifying Spirit of Christ. Are we not seeing the same today? Have not the churches of Christ misrepresented Him to the unbelieving world, causing them to more determinedly shake their fist at God? As it was two thousand years ago, when the “stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men” Ibid., hasn’t Satan put his stamp on the characters of church-goers, his mark on their foreheads? Are they not readying themselves to return to the Beast of the Dark Ages and to speak like the dragon?

Why? How can this be? What could have caused this? The blinding and deafening of the Protestant churches came centuries ago when the Reformation descendants “ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified.” They lost the ability to see Jesus in the people who He had redeemed. They ceased to see in the human the workmanship of the divine Potter’s hands. They could no longer see His spiritual genetics passed down to His second-born children of God. They could not hear the good Shepherd’s voice in the Old Testament, and follow Him. “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” (Matt. 14:27). Thus, the denominations lost their first love for “the Desire of all nations” (Hag. 2:7). Then they lost His blessing and sanctifying Spirit, and their light went out.

Every revival of primitive godliness is only safe so long as it keeps Jesus in sight. He is the precious only-begotten Offspring of God, “His dear Son.” (Col. 1:13). The great controversy with sin demanded of God the Father, “Take now Thy Son, Thine only Son…, whom Thou lovest, and get Thee into [a planetary system]; and offer Him there for a burnt offering upon one of the [planets] which I will tell thee of.” (Gen. 22:2).

God’s dear, only-begotten Son was the only person in the universe who could bow down the Almighty One, infinite in power, inexorably inflexible in the Law of righteousness, the great Judge of His kingdom. Nothing could cause Him to change His disposition toward any traitor to the Law of righteousness and love. Mercy could be accorded only those who ignorantly came short of His infinite perfection. But, He had never given into, nor could He ever have mercy for, any creature who had poisoned himself with rebellion to the King’s high standard of love.

But a new thing entered His kingdom. A creature who God had made in perfection made himself a sinner, and therefore, automatically, a tempter of others. We see that fallen creature and his delusive power in the warning from the Son relating to others who he had poisoned, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Matt. 16:6). The leavening power of the fallen spirit went undetected by every lesser creature in the kingdom. Lucifer had an excellent spirit, a friendliness apparently beyond reproach, an intelligence that attracted all to him. Even the holy angels were awed by him and their hearts bound to his. But, God and His divine Son saw the ruse and his tremendous danger to Their children in heaven and earth. No matter how insidious, the devious work of the familiar spirit could not be hidden from the Father and Son.

Now that the deceiver had poisoned the dearest children of the kingdom, there was only one thing the King could do. More than destroy the inveterate perpetrator, God must win human hearts back, hearts that had been damaged by a chemistry from the manipulations of Lucifer. Upon opening to the first association of Lucifer’s words humanity was instantly ruined from the inside out. The Spirit of the holy God could not remain mated to the spirit of anyone who would obey the dictates of the destroyer of His kingdom. Cut off from the Life-giver, the spiritual fibers in the minds and consciences of Adam’s race immediately began to die. The spirits God had put into His finest, most precious children, made for the uninhibited, free communion with Himself and His Son, were now spiritually dehydrated, malnourished, atrophied and hardened. His cloud’s ability to sit on humanity’s mercy seat was like sitting on a bed of nails, “because all [their hearts had] become briers and thorns.” (Isa. 7:24). Father and Son were now hampered from inhabiting and blessing Adam’s soul with eternal peace to be like Them and power to do like Them.

How could the Father get us back to our original condition of perfect Eden? How could our damaged spiritual fibers be healed? Could we ever return to the condition we were created to have before Lucifer tempted us to give it all up to pride in service to him? The damage was done. We had been “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14), marvelous creations from the infinite Ones. Who can design a human body with all of its systems, both microscopic and macroscopic, working in perfect intra-community? More than that, who can create the mind of man, its intelligence, curiosity, and personality? Who can create the will, individuality, the freedom to choose? And even more, who can instill in that mind a soul that loves, that needs, that yearns for the soul of its Creator and others of His creatures?

But, all this was damaged; its most pristine perfection was lost. Communion between earth and heaven was cut off, the spiritual receptors in man were made incapable of vibrating to the yearnings of God for them. By hurting His beloved human race Lucifer had hurt God in the worst way. Yet, how could God communicate that pain to the children who Lucifer had turned against Him? He must somehow get through to them. “A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.” Desire of Ages, p. 37. The Creator must recreate new fibers of faith and loyalty and sympathy for the “first dominion” (Micah 4:8), holy Eden. He must re-grow new intents of the heart, spiritual protein by spiritual protein, one photon of glory after another. God must take advantage of every capability that still remained in humanity—their physical functions of physical eyesight and hearing and physical contact, intellectual satisfaction, and emotional excitement. He must tabernacle with men, walk among them, eat together and converse with them, sleep among them, pray with them, touch them with healing power, exemplify the Law of love before them. Then His Spirit of truth must interest them in keeping the ways of His holy tabernacle, and awaken in them a desire to return to His home again.

There was only one person who could so affectionately restore love for God in hearts which Lucifer had educated to be “most violent against heaven.” Desire of Ages, p. 36. God could entrust this precious world to Him alone who through the power God had made all things. Only He from whose very hands and heart had most directly and most gently come divine creative and quickening power in our formation could be trusted to reconfigure the jumbled minds’ misconceptions of Jehovah and His Law. Only the Son who had ever lived in His bosom could the Father entrust to make intercession for us and also to possess us.

“For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb….

My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Ps. 139:13,15-17).

Around Him whom holy angels had flocked from the beginning of their creation, must the sin-filled children of Adam flock.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian….

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the Government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isa. 9:2-4,6,7).

“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law….

Who is blind, but My Servant? or deaf, as My Messenger that I sent? who is blind as He that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s Servant?

Seeing many things, but Thou observest not; opening the ears, but He heareth not.

The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the Law, and make it honourable.” (Isa. 42:1-4,19-21).

 “I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” (Eze. 34:29-31).

“Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” (Ps. 100:3,4).

 “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life.” (John 6:40).

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” (John 12:32).

“All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).

“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:35,36).

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1Jn. 5:12,13).

More than His visible presence His words had the power of correction and promise.

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

“The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter…. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.” Desire of Ages, p. 671.

“There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character.” Ibid. And it must be remembered that much of the character is the love faculty; there can be no character development without the heart restored to God by Jesus.

Error and ignorance of truth instilled in the mind and soul are the workmanship of Satan. Through them he gains control of the human heart to poison it from God. Therefore, Christ must come teaching the truth of His Father. He must rework the lines of information that Satan had tangled up, thus leading to a misrepresentation of God’s character. Through the correct teachings from the Hebrew scripture the Son would begin a work of restoration in human hearts and minds that would replant there the ensign of heaven against the enemy. The Son would take back the territory claimed by Satan through unscrambling the principles of truth that the spirit of evil had so deceptively confused. Then He would put on the capstone of salvation by offering up His own soul in our damnation.

In Gethsemane and on Golgotha, God’s dear Son would make the only provision in order for His eternal Abba to experience the pangs of death. The Son who dwelled in the bosom of the Father, who “changeth not” (Ps. 15:4, cf Mal. 3:6) with regard to His Law of death for the slightest insurrection, the Only-begotten who dwelled in the bosom of “Him that liveth for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:14), “who only hath immortality” (1Tim. 6:16), would descend into oblivion with His only-Begotten. Hand joined in hand, soul committed to soul, the Son and Father would show the ultimate self-sacrifice for the full and complete repossession of Adam’s world.

Together They would sink down into death to pay the cost of buying back our hearts and lives. The Law of the kingdom would be more than satisfied. Satan and any potential rival for the hearts of heaven’s hosts would be forever vanquished. Not only the Son would die for ungrateful, ignominious, and filthy hearts and minds and bodies, but the King Himself would know desperation by the potentially eternal loss of His incarnated Son battling against an outnumbering host under the direct generalship of the wicked genius, Lucifer.

Jesus is the center of the whole Bible story, from beginning to end of the great controversy.

“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.

And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5).