Uncompromising

In this post, I want to highlight the fact that Jesus, although incredibly loving, is absolutely unwilling to compromise on the matter of our need to turn to Him as both Saviour and Lord.  Here are some relevant verses that quote Jesus Himself:

• Matt 10: 32-33: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”
• Matt 10: 37-39: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
• Matt 23:13-15: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.  Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”
• Luke 9:23-26: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?  Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
• John 8:23-24: “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world...
  If you do not believe that I am He [the one I claimed to be], you will indeed die in your sins.”

This is sobering stuff.  It doesn't exactly fit the view that some people have of "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild"!  And there are many other passages like it.  Consider, for example, these two:

• Luke 9:57-62:  As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
• John 2:13-16:  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.  So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.  To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

If you struggle to cope with these passages, it may help to think of sins as analogous to malignant and deadly tumours, and Jesus as the only surgeon skilled enough to remove them.  If we refuse to submit to the Lordship of Jesus, our sins will grow and grow, and eventually completely destroy us.  An absolutely dreadful prospect.  If, on the other hand, we repent of our sins and submit to Him, we will find ourselves on the path to eternal life, freedom and joy.

Precious

The Bible warns us not to seek fulfilment in material things, but to search for things which have eternal value.  In the Old Testament, we find:

• Prov 8:11: Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
• Psalm 119:127: I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold.

And Jesus Himself said:

• Matt 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
• Matt 13:44-46: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

Now, when we turn to the New Testament epistles, we find that the most precious thing in the whole universe is nothing but Jesus Himself!  Consider, for example:

• Colossians 2:2-4:  My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
• 1 Peter 1:17-21:  Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
• 1 Peter 2:4-8: As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:  “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and,“A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

If only all people would fully appreciate the amazing depth of Jesus' love; how He left His glorious home, lived as a human and then allowed Himself to be tortured and killed by His own rebellious creatures, so that He could bring salvation to anyone who asked.  Those of us who do so, come to find that Jesus is incredibly precious to us, a dear friend, Lord and Saviour, who we would gladly give up our lives for.

Risen, Ascended, Enthroned

In the last entry, I talked about the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.  In this entry, I want to consider what happened afterwards.

The first claim that Christians make is that Jesus was raised from the dead:

• Romans 1:4-5: Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God, when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.
• 1 Cor 15:3-4: What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
• Philippians 3:10-12: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
• 1 Peter 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The second claim is that Jesus ascended from Earth to Heaven:

• John 20:17: Jesus said to her: "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.  Instead, go to my brothers, and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father; to my God and your God."
• Acts 1:9-11: He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
• Hebrews 9:24: For Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hands, which are just figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

Finally, Christians believe that Jesus is now enthroned, i.e., in a position of glory and supreme authority:

• Matt 28:18: Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me".
• Ephesians 1:20-21: God raised Christ from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
• Phil 2:8-11: Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is important to bear in mind that the glorification of Jesus came only after He humbled Himself and obeyed God the Father.  This is a general Christian principle.  Indeed, Jesus said: "He who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Matt 23:12, Luke 14:11)

Condemned, Mocked, Tortured, Crucified

Jesus was condemned to death, mocked, tortured, stripped naked, nailed to a wooden cross, and left to die:

• Matt 26:65-67: The high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”  “He is worthy of death,” they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
• Matt 27:28-31: They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
• Luke 23:32-36: Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.  Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”  The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

As I mentioned in my post on Jesus as the Suffering Servant (December 2010), the Bible makes it clear that the main reason that Jesus had to die was to pay the price for the sins of humanity.  Nevertheless, it seems to me that Jesus did something else very important when he suffered and died: He showed that God was (and is) willing to share in the sufferings of His creatures --- even suffering of the very worst kind.  This is also implied by the following verses:

• Psalm 56:8: You record my misery; You put my tears in your bottle.
• Isaiah 53:4: Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering.
• Isaiah 63:9: In all their suffering He also suffered, and He personally rescued them. In his love and mercy He redeemed them.
• John 11:33-36: When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled... Jesus wept.
• Acts 9:4: [Jesus said:] "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

It is a great mystery to me that the Almighty God, the King of the Universe, the Eternal Holy Trinity, is capable of suffering and allows Himself to suffer.  I don't understand it, but I praise and thank Him for it.

Radiant and Glorious

In this post, I will explain the title of this blog.  As usual, let's begin with some relevant scriptures:

• Mark 9:2-3: Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
• Col 1:15-20: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
• 2 Cor 4:4: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
• Heb 1:3: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
• 2 Thess 1:8-9: He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.
• 1 John 1:4-5: In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
• Rev 1:13-17: Among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

Scriptures like these make it clear than Jesus is indeed radiantly glorious.

Now, let's take a step back from the Bible, and just think about our universe.  Think about things that inspire you and fill you with awe.  (In my case, this includes music, flowers, sunsets, stars, mountains, waterfalls, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, fireworks, beautiful women, friendship and maternal love.)  Now consider the fact that God "dreamt up" all those things, like an incredibly creative artist.  Also consider the fact that Jesus is infinitely greater, lovelier, more beautiful and more majestic than all of those things put together.  Not only that, but this incredible Jesus humbled Himself and chose to go to the cross, in order to provide a way for sinners to be saved.

All I can say is, how absolutely wonderful Jesus is!  How can anybody not love and adore Him?

Another amazing thing is that Jesus promises to share His glory with all those who truly repent and choose to follow Him!  See for example these verses:

• Prov 4:18: The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
• Dan 12:3:  Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
• Matt 13:43: [Jesus said:] "The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
• John 17:22-23: [Jesus prays for the church:] "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
  Rom 2:7: To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
  2 Cor 3:18: And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
  Col 1:27: God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

These scriptures fill me with so much joy, I want to dance!  I pray that they will fill you with joy, too.

Living Water

In the last post we talked of Jesus as being the Bread of Life and Hidden Manna.  Now, let's consider His promise of "Living Water":

• John 4:13-14: [Jesus said:] “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
• John 7:37-39: [Jesus said:] “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

Although the water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, it appears that it is our relationship to Jesus that provides the means for the Spirit to be released in our hearts.  (Theologians have debated in the past whether the Spirit proceeds from the Father only, or from the Father and the Son.  I must confess that I don't know enough about the relevant arguments to say anything sensible about this issue.)

Anyway, here are some other beautiful verses from the Bible on the theme of Living Water:

• Psalm 36:7-9: How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house.  You give them drink from your river of delights.  For with you is the fountain of life.  In your light we see light.
• Psalm 107:9: He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
• Jeremiah 2:13: My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own wells, broken wells that cannot hold water.
• Matthew 5:6: [Jesus said:] “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
• Rev 22:1: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
• Rev 22:17: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!”  Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

I (and many of my fellow Christians) can personally testify that there is a satisfaction in knowing Jesus and being filled with His Spirit that far exceeds anything that this world has to offer.  Indeed, before I came to know Jesus, despite all my efforts to satisfy my desires, my spirit and soul were "dying of thirst".  As Augustine said, "You made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find our home in You".

Bread of Life

This time, we will be looking at the idea of Jesus being food to our souls.  First, we look at some verses from the Old Testament:

• Deut 8:2-3: The LORD your God... humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
• Psalm 36:7-9: How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house.
• Psalm 107:9: He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
• Isaiah 55:1-2: Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

From these verses, it is clear that human beings need spiritual sustenance as well as physical.  It is also clear that our spiritual hunger can be satisfied by God alone.

Jesus quotes the above verses from Deuteronomy in Matthew 4.4.  Moreover, in John's Gospel, He says the following to the Jewish people:

• John 6:32-52:  It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world... I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty...  Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.  But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Here, Jesus is saying that His death on the cross would provide the way for our spiritual hunger to be satisfied.  It fact, He seems to be saying more than that.  It seems that, somehow, we can actually feed on Him spiritually.  Once this is done, in some mysterious way, He actually dwells inside our spirits and souls.

I am convinced that the root of many addictions, such as addictions to alcohol, drugs or pornography, is a desperate spiritual hunger.  The wonderful truth is, if we truly come to know Jesus, and experience His mercy and grace, we will find a satisfaction beyong anything we could ever have dreamed.  This is my experience, and that of millions of other people.

To close, an encouraging verse from Revelation on the same theme:

• Rev 2:17: To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.