A child's response to "Who is Jesus?"

 

Heaven - Glorious destination

 

“A better place”

A young person asked, ‘why does God allow death’ – my answer – ‘because God has something better on the other side.’

My dear friend I visit, rejoiced to hear the words

“I am waiting for the dawning of that bright and blessed day,

When the darksome night of sorrow shall have vanished far away,

When forever with the Saviour, far beyond this vale of tears,

I shall swell the song of worship

Through the everlasting years..”

 

Hebrews 11

“All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it from a distance…..  They were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.

That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a heavenly city for them.”

 

Am I bogged down in the vain hope of this world being that ‘better place’.?  Or am I proclaiming the glorious Gospel of a heavenly hope through a once crucified, now risen Lord Jesus? This the only thing that will change the world for good and create hope beyond this short life. True faith is not bound by time and space. It sees the invisible – God Himself.

Great Commission

 by James McKee

LUKE 24.36–52

 

Picture the room. Jerusalem, evening. Jesus' remaining 11 disciples are gathered behind a locked door — the lamps low, the bolt drawn. They are frightened; they scattered; They are grieving. The hope they had staked their lives on died on a Roman cross three days ago, and the city outside still belongs to the people who killed him. And now someone has burst in claiming to have seen him alive.

 

Hold that picture. Because the question I want to press this morning is a simple one: when we tell the story of Jesus — when we get to the end of it in our own minds — where does it stop? For many of us, I suspect, it stops at the resurrection. Empty tomb. Risen Christ. The stone rolled away. Job done.

 

But Luke doesn't stop there. Luke won't let us stop there. The passage in front of us this morning is not a conclusion — it is a commissioning. In a few short verses we move from that frightened group hiding in a room to a community launched on a world-changing mission.

 

How does Jesus take people marked by fear, confusion, and inaction, and turn them into witnesses who will carry his name to the ends of the earth? The answer has three movements — three things the risen Christ does. He reveals himself. He explains his mission. And he empowers his people.

1.   HE REVEALS HIMSELF 

"While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'"  — v.36

 

'While they were still talking about this.' Before the discussion is resolved. Before the fear has settled. Before anyone has worked out a plan, Jesus himself turns up. Not an idea about Jesus. Not the memory of Jesus. Jesus himself, standing in the room. Alive.

 

And notice — they are terrified. Verse 37: they think they've seen a ghost. His first word to a roomful of frightened failures is not a rebuke. It is 'Peace.' He meets them where they are. But he won't let them spiritualise what has happened. Verses 39 and 40: 'Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.' And then, verse 42 — they hand him a piece of grilled fish, and he takes it and eats it in front of them.

 

Luke labours the point. The resurrection is not a symbol. It is not a metaphor for new beginnings. It is a claim about something that happened, physically, to a body, in history, outside Jerusalem, in the reign of Tiberius Caesar. The nail marks are still there. The hands that broke bread, that touched lepers, that were nailed to the cross — these are the same hands he is holding out.

 

C.S. Lewis — the stubborn atheist turned Christian — said what finally broke through his resistance was this: the resurrection accounts don't read like mythology. Myths are smooth, rounded, timeless. This account is jagged. Particular. It has a piece of fish in it. A man who wished to invent a story, he said, would not have written like this. The physical details are not an embarrassment. They are the authentication.

 

And here is the pastoral heart of it: when life is hard — and many of us are walking through hard things — we don't need a vague spiritual comfort. We need a real, risen, reigning person. The disciples' joy in verse 41 is not the joy of a comforting idea. It is the almost disbelieving joy of recognition. He is real. He is here.

 

2. HE EXPLAINS HIS MISSION

"Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures."  — v.45

 

Jesus doesn't just appear and say, 'Right — resurrection confirmed, off you go.' He opens the Scriptures. He teaches. And what he explains is this: the cross was not a tragedy that the resurrection rescues. The cross and the resurrection are both necessary. Both planned. Both announced centuries before they happened.

 

Verse 44: 'Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.' That is the whole Hebrew Bible. From Genesis to Malachi — the sacrificial system, the Passover lamb, the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, the cry of Psalm 22, the hope of Psalm 16 — all of it has been pointing here. And verse 45 is remarkable: 'He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.' He doesn't just give them information. He gives them capacity. The ability to see Christ in the Bible is itself a gift of grace.

 

I have a friend who always reads the last chapter of a novel first. He says he can't follow the story without knowing where it's going. The disciples had been reading the Bible without understanding that Jesus is the ending. In this moment, Jesus reads them the last chapter — and the whole story makes sense.

 

The gospel defined

What is the gospel, according to Jesus himself in verses 46 and 47? Three things. First — the Messiah had to suffer and rise on the third day. That word 'had to' matters: divine necessity. The cross is not a problem to be explained away; it is the centre of God's plan — the Son of God bearing the sin of the world, the just for the unjust. Second — repentance and forgiveness in his name. Not just forgiveness — repentance and forgiveness; you cannot have one without the other. Third — to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. The mission is universal, starting in the very city where he was crucified and moving out to the ends of the earth.

 

And let's not to shrink the gospel down to merely a private transaction. When the New Testament speaks of the righteousness of God, it means more than a status handed to individuals though it includes that — it is God's own power breaking into the world to put it to rights. Repentance and forgiveness are gloriously personal; but they are the leading edge of something cosmic. God is not merely pardoning offenders one by one; he is setting right a whole world that has gone wrong. The gospel is an announcement that God has invaded, in Christ, to rescue and to reclaim and renew.

 

The implication for us as witnesses is this: the content of our witness is defined here. Not our spiritual journey, though that may be a bridge. Not our opinions on meaning and purpose though that can open a conversation. It is the crucified and risen Christ, and the call to repentance and forgiveness in his name. The message is not ours to design. It is ours to deliver.

 

3. HE EMPOWERS HIS PEOPLE 

"I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."  — v.49

 

The disciples are witnesses — verse 48. They were there. They saw the cross, the empty tomb, the risen Lord. They just watched him eat fish. They are qualified witnesses. But being a qualified witness is not the same as being a capable one. So Jesus says: wait. Don't go yet. 'Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.'

 

The ascension: the overlooked event

Then comes the most underappreciated event in the Christian calendar. Verses 50 and 51: Jesus leads them out to Bethany, lifts up his hands, blesses them — and is taken up into heaven. We mark Christmas, Good Friday, the resurrection, even Pentecost. But the ascension barely registers — even though it is one of the most important events in history.

 

The ascension is not Jesus leaving. It is Jesus reigning. He is taken up — not to retirement, but to the throne of the universe. Daniel 7 is being fulfilled: the Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days and receives authority, glory, and sovereign power. His dominion is an everlasting dominion. This is the answer to the disciples' confusion. They expected a Messiah who would restore a political kingdom to Israel. But Jesus is inaugurating something far larger — a kingdom that cannot be shaken, a reign that will not end.

 

We live in the Time Between — between the first coming, when Christ came in weakness, and the second, when he will come in glory. The overlap of the ages. We are not waiting in an empty room; we are living in occupied territory, under the reign of a King who has already won the decisive victory but has not yet returned to make it visible to all. That is the strange and hopeful place every Christian stands knowing that this King has indeed ascended to His throne.

 

The Spirit: power for witness

And from that throne, as Acts 2.33 says, 'exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.' The Spirit is not a vague spiritual warmth. The Spirit is the presence of the reigning Jesus, at work in and through his people. When the Spirit comes, the disciples are no longer cowering behind a locked door. Peter — who wept by the fire, who denied his master three times — stands up and preaches with such power that three thousand people repent and are baptised. What changed? Jesus happened. The ascended, reigning, Spirit-sending Jesus.

 

Most of us know the experience of an ANZAC Day dawn service. Standing in the dark and the cold, watching the light come up, listening to the Last Post. And you will know there is something almost unbearably moving about it. The photographs. The medals laid out. The names read aloud, one by one. The silence.

 

ANZAC Day does something important. It preserves memory. It holds before us the reality and the cost of sacrifice — young men who got on ships and never came home, fathers who left families behind, sons whose mothers waited years at the gate. And in more recent conflicts, daughters too, wives, mothers. People who gave everything. That memory matters. It is right and good to honour it. And it should remind us not only of the beauty of sacrifice but of the sheer horror of war — the waste, the grief, the generational damage. We must never let it become merely ceremonial. Those were real people. Real families. Real losses that echo down to today.

 

The dawn service names the dead. But it cannot defeat the thing that killed them. It cannot break the power of Death. It remembers the fallen — but it cannot raise them.

 

And that is precisely what the New Testament dares to claim Jesus has done. On the cross he did not only bear our sin — he disarmed the Powers. And walking out of the tomb, he broke the grip of Death itself. Which is why a memorial, good and necessary as it is, can only ever take us so far. Because a memorial is, in the end, a photograph. A beautiful, important, carefully preserved photograph. It calls us to remember — and remembering is good. But a photograph cannot speak to you. It cannot help you carry today's grief. It cannot reach into the present. It preserves the past — but it cannot act.

 

Think of the difference between a photograph of someone you love who has died, and a phone call from someone who is alive. The photograph is precious — you hold it carefully, look at it in quiet moments. But it is fixed. Static. It cannot respond to you. A phone call is entirely different. The person is present. Engaged. They can hear what you are actually going through and speak into it. They can act.

 

Some Christians treat Jesus like a photograph — a beautiful historical memory to keep close and look at fondly. But Jesus is not a photograph. He is alive, reigning, and through his Spirit in present, active relationship with his people right now, this morning, in this room. He is not the memory of a good man who died sacrificially. He is the Lord of the universe, who knows your name and is at work in your life. A memorial can call us to remember real sacrifice — but it cannot save us, forgive us, defeat death, or send its Spirit to live within us. Only Jesus can do that. And the claim of this passage is that he has. And does. And will, until he comes.

 

Because the ascension is not the end of the story. As Jesus ascends, Luke tells us in Acts 1 that two angels appear: 'This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go.' He is coming back. The reigning Lord is also the returning Lord.

 

And this shapes everything. We are not maintaining an institution or running a community organisation that happens to use Christian language. We are people who believe the risen, reigning Christ will return — and that every person we meet will stand before him. That is why witness is not optional. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5 that we are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. If Jesus is not merely a good teacher, sharing his message is a nice thing to do when convenient. But if he is the crucified, risen, ascended, returning Lord of all creation — then witness is the most important thing we will ever do. Not because we are impressive, but because we know the one who is.

 

What witness looks like.

The word 'witness' in Luke 24 is the Greek martys — from which we get 'martyr'. A witness doesn't invent testimony. They report what they have seen, heard, and know to be true. And that witness is both verbal and holistic.

 

It is verbal — we cannot escape that. Acts 2 makes it plain: the Spirit comes, and Peter speaks. There's a famous line, often wrongly pinned on Francis of Assisi — 'preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.' A lovely sentiment, but it doesn't survive contact with Acts 2. You cannot explain the cross with a smile. You cannot call someone to repentance with a casserole, however excellent the casserole. At some point, in some context, we are called to say — with clarity, warmth, and courage — what we believe about Jesus and why it matters.

 

But witness is not only verbal. Luke, more than any gospel writer, shows us a Jesus who heals bodies, restores dignity to the marginalised, eats with tax collectors and sinners. Witness is the whole of a life oriented towards Jesus — the conversation with a colleague about why you have hope; the way you use your money, time, and influence knowing you are accountable to a returning King; the broken situations you step into because you carry the presence of the Spirit.

 

And at its best, witness is not performance — it is overflow. When the risen Jesus has genuinely transformed you, it is almost impossible to stay silent. Peter and John, dragged before the Sanhedrin and ordered to stop speaking, simply say: 'We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.' That is witness. Not a duty reluctantly discharged, but an irrepressible response to a living Lord.

CONCLUSION 

We began by picturing a locked room — a frightened, grieving, defeated little band. And we asked: when we tell the story of Jesus, where does it end? Luke's answer is that it does not end at the empty tomb, glorious as that is. It continues — through the ascension, through Pentecost, through the Spirit-empowered witness of ordinary, frightened people who have been met by the risen Christ. It continues right here, in this room, today.

 

Look at the movement. Fear gives way to joy. Confusion gives way to clarity. Waiting gives way to witness. And the engine of it all is the same risen, ascended Christ, who reveals himself, speaks through his word, and empowers by his Spirit. He has not changed. He is not less risen, not less ascended, not less Lord. And he is not done. He is coming back.

 

We know how to hold a memorial in this country. We know the dawn service, the photographs, the names read aloud — and that is good and right. But this morning we have something more than a memorial. We have a living Lord — one whose own sacrifice did not merely leave a memory to be honoured, but broke death open from the inside. One who did not stay in the tomb. One who is not frozen in the past, but reigns in the present and is coming in the future.

Heaven

 

Heaven

It was Jesus, more than any other, who directed the attention of the people away from earth to the realities of heaven.

Consider the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7):

         ‘Our Father who is in heaven’ He wants us connected to God in heaven as children to a father.

         ‘ the kingdom of heaven’ – rule from above.

         ‘ reward awaits you in heaven’ – recompense beyond this life.

         ‘ glorify your Father who is in heaven’ – humans honouring God in heaven!

         ‘heaven and earth disappear’- time frame for creation

         ‘least in the kingdom, greatest in the kingdom of heaven’ – a sphere of recognised significance.

         ‘enter into the kingdom of heaven’ – terms of participation

         ‘ heaven is God’s throne’ – above all God rules

         ‘true children of your Father in heaven’ – filial connection

         ‘ Father in heaven is perfect’ – a place without sin

         ‘ reward of your Father in heaven’ – heavenly observation.

         ‘Your will on earth as in heaven’ - change possible

         ‘ treasures in heaven’ – investment by believers in heaven

         ‘Father in  heaven gives good’ – Father’s character

         ‘they won’t enter the kingdom of heaven’ – terms of entrance.

         ‘My Father who is in heaven’ – Jesus claim to heavenly relationship’

 

Matthew 8:11   ‘ many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abrahm, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven!’ – praise the Lord, He has a place for unworthy me!

 

Keep on reading and then in Hebrews where it details Jesus exalted in heaven now.

 

We become so so distracted by the affairs of this life that we miss the greater, the more beautiful, the uncorrupted joys of heaven.

 

Let the Bible release you from being just an earthling, to set your mind on things above where Christ is sitting. When He shall appear, then shall you appear with Him in glory.

 

I have spare Bibles if you do not have one

Why become a Christian?

 

Why become a Christian?

 

Because Jesus Christ the Lord is returning soon and He will judge all the people of this world in true justice. The signal proof of this is that Jesus was raised from death by the glory of God the Father and Jesus has been appointed to judge all of mankind – Officially as the Son of God and morally as the Son of man.

        Are you prepared for this day of  final judgement?

 

In Australia we are fortunate to have freedom of religion:-

1       Freedom to practise any religion within the confines of Australian law

2      Freedom to change religion, unhindered by others. To obstruct change for a spouse, child or others is illegal.

 

So why choose Jesus Christ above all others?

1       The veracity (the quality or state of being truthful, honest, and accurate)  of the Christian Bible. (try reading the others as I have and you will soon be convinced)

2      The spiritual relevance of Bible teaching.

       e.g. the human condition,  the progressive revelation of the LORD God, the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, the continuing effective value of the death of Jesus Christ.

 

3        Only one God can be the true God, and to know Him is our greatest need as humans.

 

4   The spiritual, moral and entire benefits that flow through     Jesus Christ:

a.    Restored connection with God through Jesus Christ

b.   Transformed mind, body, soul and spirit for better.

c.    Assurance of the eternal destination

 

    5   Jesus is no ordinary man. Although His appearance on earth was not spectacular or a successful conqueror, His birth, life , death and resurrection distinguish Him as very different . Either He was totally deluded in His claims about Himself or He was indeed the Son of God from heaven, and gone back to heaven. No one else has been able to verify deity by miracles and signs like Jesus. No one else could carry through the predictions He made (and Old Testament prophecies ) about giving up His life as a ransom to God for others.

 

This means we are obliged to accept Him or reject Him, not as an optional religion, but as the King of the universe who will have the final say in all peoples lives, the Saviour for all people.

 

God in love has give us the choice, but the consequences now and forever, are inevitable.

 

PS  I am not writing about joining a church but rather about connecting with God through Jesus Christ the LORD.

johnmckee@internode.on.net

I have spare Bibles - free -  postage is my only problem

How to become a Christian

 

How?

I wrote three articles on ‘What is a Christian?’

Now I write to answer ‘How does a person become a Christian?’

 

False ideas –  born a Christian – no, using a set religious formula – no,           a secret initiation ceremony – no,   a religious ceremony – no  following a set of rules – no      switching religious affiliation – no.

 

The Bible , and Jesus in particular used many metaphors along with direct invitations.

Matthew 11:28 is outstanding- He said:

“Come to Me, all of you who labour and carry heavy burdens. I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you, and let Me teach you, for I am humble and gentle and you will find rest for your souls.”

   This invitation still stands for real, as the living Lord Jesus still welcomes all who come to Him. Because of who He is, He can and will lift your burden. Coming to Him is to trust in Him (Saviour) and commitment to Him (yoke).

 

Many other Bible verses called people away from different circumstances to faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.

For example :

To the religious Jews He said “If you do not believe that I am He (the Son of God the Father), you will die in your sins. -John 8:23,24

This is the crucial change for Jews and Muslims.

 

To repentant sinners of His time, He likened Himself to a shepherd seeking lost sheep. His promise still stands : “I am the gate, if anyone enters through Me , they will be saved” John 10:9

 

In a present time of Christ deniers, the promise of John 1:12 is enough to bring a person from distance to inclusion in the family of God. “He came unto His own people, but He was not accepted.. But to all who believe in Him, He gives the right to become the children of God.”

 

Think for a moment of the Gentiles mentioned in Acts 10. They admired the law of Moses, but felt left out of the blessings of Temple ceremonies. Peter put it clearly:  “He (Jesus) is the one all the prophets testified about saying, that everyone who believes in Him (Jesus the Messiah) will have their sins forgiven(complete) through HIS Name.”  Acts 10:42

And they did believe and the Holy Spirit sealed their connection with God.

 

Peter, who was birthed into religious observations, learned that new life in the kingdom of God was not based on good works:

“God, who knows people’s heart, confirmed that He accepts Gentiles by giving them Holy Spirit, just as He gave the Holy Spirit to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for God cleansed their hearts through faith”  Act 15:11

 

    Salvation (saved) is a special word to those who feel the curse of sin. Sin binds like a chain, sin blinds, sin creates webs of irreparable relationships, sin takes people to hell. To be saved is the only true answer to this human condition. But the Word of God has many promises for being SAVED.:

        “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is LORD (the LORD who came down from heaven), and believe in your heart that God raised Him ( the Son who died as a sacrifice for sin), you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

 

 Many other Bible accounts show that conversion is the definite  change from many different situations to simple, sincere, solid  faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.

For me conversion was from trying my best to trusting in Him.  For Robert Spurling it was the change from mental blindness to seeing and trusting Jesus Christ the  Lord.(John 9). Conversion stories are  different, but the focal point is always the same – the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1 John 5:12   “ Whoever has God’s Son, has life (eternal), whoever does not have the Son does not have life.

 

There is no set formula to be saved, but I recommend taking time out to connect with God:

 

Stop rushing around and ponder your present reality before God – made for God, lost away from God, a sinner in nature and practice! (let the Bible convince you “all have sinned”)

 

Be still and consider what God has done to remedy this situation – unworthy as we are, because of His love, He sent His Son to be our Saviour by death and resurrection.

 

Speak out loud to the LORD your need of Him.

 

Speak out loud  from your heart your decision to receive Him for who He claims to be , and trust Him to save you from sin and its penalty in hell.

 

REST in HIM and commit to following Him.

 

Let the many promises  of God be your assurance  of acceptance with God now and forever. Not feelings or fantasy experiences.

 

“Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Acts 16.31

 

He said to those who loved HIM:

“I will come back and take you to be with Me, that you also may be where I am”    John 14:3

 

What a joyful day it will be when the family of God is gathered home, and the saved sheep gathered into the eternal fold. The amazing thing is that Jesus the conquering  King of Kings will forever be known  as “the Lamb” upon the eternal Throne .

 

Not by AI – bit obvious by my deficient grammar

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Ps 23

https://vimeo.com/198514381?fe=sh&fl=pl&ref=fb-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawRRPXtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe4qiVPrXvexjgPlTqYuQoS2X3uJUEAJIHeAcHHZL7dy8xvpr9f9j1qaDdlZo_aem_KbGKr96sI5zlFVWGmsWlvg

Title of Jesus

 

Prince of peace

What a beautiful title for our glorious LORD

Yesterday I was listening in person to Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Christians, groping around for peace at a rally here. Jesus Christ as the true source of peace was largely left out- definitely not honoured as He should be.

True peace begins with, peace with God, which then enables peace with others.

Peace with God is only possible through God’s Son, Jesus Christ the LORD. God stepped  into time and spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Jesus a sacrifice sufficient to take away the offence of our sin, so that we can now know we have we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 3-5)

 

Primarily, the Holy Spirit is converting  hearts to trust and obey the Prince of peace (Jesus).

Secondly by the cross of Christ He is achieving peace between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2)..

The nations have some peace when Jesus is given His rightful place – usually by godly leaders (like Queen Elizabeth11). Real peace upon the earth will happen when Jesus returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19). Before Jesus left earth, He promised many times that He would return in power and great glory.

His coming will incur final judgement on all unbelievers.

His coming will vindicate Himself and all who trust and love Him.

His coming will bring peace that will endure .

 

Peace was lost by the disobedience of Adam.

Peace can only be restored by the obedience of Christ

 ( see Romans 5)

And so as we focus on the shame of a ‘cross’, we can discover God at work, so that ‘He is our peace’

 

By the blood of the Lamb, He achieves our peace with God.

By the strength of the Lamb strife will be removed from the earth and true peace will reign.

Until He is given His true honour, peace will elude the sons of Adam.

 

Peace perfect peace

in this  dark world of sin

The blood of Jesus

 whispers peace within.

Father

 

Everlasting Father – Father of Eternity

A father is the origin and provider and protector.

Hebrews 1 puts it very clearly:

“The Son, He is appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the worlds – the ages.

Who being the brightness of God’s glory, the exact expression of God’s person , now upholds all things by the word of His power……”

 

………..enough to inspire worship, but there is more…..

“when He had by Himself made purification for our sins,

He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High.

 

Past eternity – He was foreordained as the Lamb of redemption (1 Peter 1:20)

Present era – He is the way back to the Father (John 14.6)

Future eternity – He will be the forever object of praise (Revelation 5)

Does this title conflict with “God the Father”?   - No   - It rather confirms the words of the Lord Jesus himself:

“He that hath seen Me, has seen the Father.”

”I and my father are one”  -- the character of the Father is so completely expressed in the teaching, words and actions of the Son, Jesus, well He could say “I and My Father are ONE”

 

I am so glad that the ages of the ages are in HIS care – when He will gather together in one , all things in Christ  (Ephesians 1.10)

God incarnate

 

Another Title of the Messiah – Isaiah 9

“Mighty God”

In my interactions with many cultures, many religions, the confusion about God is sad, but the insufficient designations they give to Jesus is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

The Bible narrative of the anticipated Messiah described His full deity.

Psalm 45:8 unto the Son he said “Your throne O God is forever and ever”  - quoted in Hebrews 1

Zechariah 13:7 A verse Jesus claimed for Himself (Luke 26:31) – “the man that is my fellow”

Psalm 110, Daniel 7 , Genesis 2

 

So when Jesus said God was His Father, they instantly accused Him of making Himself equal with God - and rightly so.

 

The Apostles were very clear about Him being the Son given, the Mighty God:

Thomas  -  My Lord and my God

Peter – Jesus Christ our God and Saviour

Paul  - He is God who rules over everything

John – The Word was God

 

In His choice to become humble at His appearing, He appeared less than Divine. Even the titles He used of Himself were the opposite to arrogant pride of a warrior or statesman. For example – son of man, servant, shepherd, friend of the outcasts etc.

But the glimpses of His Divine glory on selected occasions shone through: - on the holy mount, stilling the storm, raising the dead, rising to life after His death etc

 

As one with the Father He was and is the mighty God.

 

Ours is the privilege to heed the word of God (Deuteronomy 32, Hebrews 1)

“Let all the angels of God worship Him”  for He is worthy!

next title

 

'Counsellor'

This child that was born, grew,  learned, suffered and as the scriptures have said – He grew in wisdom and stature. Much more than knowledge, He had true sympathy and empathy in His humanity.

In the anointing of the Holy Spirit, His commission was to go forth and speak for God (The Prophet of Deut.18) and speak as God the Son. (John 3)

When He opened His mouth, there come to the people, in words they could understand, Divine wisdom, heavenly values, God honouring directives giving solid rock foundations for living life and arriving at the final destination.

Never man spoke like this man!

         Concise  - not info overload

         Precise  - exactly what was needed

         Powerful – none could contradict

The Sermon on the mount  has counselled millions of people throughout the last 2000 years.

 

His voice in Revelation 1 is likened to a sharp two edged sword. – counsel to repent  and counsel to believe.

As the great communicator (Alpha and Omega) and the great counsellor He brings to humanity the fullness of Grace and Truth.

 

John 5:24

“Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears My WORD and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life as will not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life.”

 

‘Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart’.

Title of Jesus

 

The Royal titles of the Messiah – Isaiah 9

 

“Wonderful” – the one who does wonders.

When Jesus stepped into public service for God, the people wondered at His healing power, they wondered at the authority by which He taught. The multitude wondered at His ability to feed five thousand from five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples wondered at His ability to still the storm and walk on water. Well we might sing -‘The wonder of sunset at evening’ – the wonder of Jesus the creator!

 

  But more than all this, the wonder of Him bringing people back to God – to pick up the pieces of broken humanity and by His wonderful grace - redeeming, restoring, reconciling , rapturing them into heaven itself.

  This word is the name of the angel that ascended in the flame of the alter – Judges 13 – they said “we have seen God” (Christophany) . And so it is the greatest wonder of all, that Jesus the child born, the Son given, ascended back into heaven by virtue of the sacrifice He made in His death. Well might we join with Thomas and say of the risen Jesus – “My Lord and my God”

 

One of the greatest joys of my life is to listen to the children at school sing this beautiful chorus

      Isn’t He wonderful,

      Wonderful, wonderful ,

Isn’t Jesus my Lord wonderful

Eyes have seen, ears have heard

It’s recorded in God’s word

Isn’t Jesus my Lord Wonderful.

The Son of God

 

“To us a Son is given” Isaiah 9

The Son is given – the most disputed truth across the planet. Most people of earth are happy to celebrate the child born. Millions reject the clear statement of this ancient prophecy.

 

   Jesus Himself said “I came down from heaven” (John 6:38). He referred to God as His Father (John 8:54) The Jews tried to stone Him for this. At the Jewish trial, the High priest asked Him the question –“Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?” His answer was “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power, and coming back on the clouds of heaven.”

 

   Gabriel put it very clearly to Mary : “He will be very great, and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32)

At His baptism a voice from heaven said to Him : “You are My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Luke 3.22)

John, who knew Him better than most, wrote

“ The Father sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1 John 4:14)

 

Note please – the word son is different to child. A child has a beginning and matures in life influenced by DNA and circumstances. A son represents the father in character and function. An ambassador begins to represent the values and strength of a home country. Jesus was much more – as The Son He represented God the Father perfectly – as an image is pressed out of the reality. By learning Jesus Christ, we learn the personality, purity, passion, purposes of God.

      The prophets could only speak for God. This “Son given” spoke as God (John 3)

 

Psalm 2 presents the anticipated Messiah as God’s king, but also as “My Son”. Then the command is given : “Kiss the Son”.- this is the kiss of submission and adoration with bended knee.

What about the cross?  -   “God spared not His own Son but gave him up for us all” – Not only a lamb without spot or blemish (the child born), but the effective value of the sacrifice made was in the intrinsic worth of who He was – “the Son given”.

 

In the future:

“God has highly exalted HIM and bestowed on HIM the name which is above every name. So that at the name of Jesus , every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father.”  (Philippians 2)

 

We do well to spend time seeking to comprehend  who HE is, the Eternal Son of the Eternal God  and take our place at His feet:

“The Son of God loved me , and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2)

Who is this Child

 

“For unto us a child is born”  Isaiah 9

 

Why did the Messiah not just appear as a man? – because God chose to reveal Himself in real humanity!

Previously it was the overflowing flood

it was devastating judgements in Egypt

it was lightening and thunder with fire at Sinai

it was in the shekinah glory – tabernacle and temple.

This prophecy predicts God stepping into humanity as a child!

 

This is the Son saying “here am I send Me”

This is Him who was rich, choosing to become poor!  (2 Corinthians 8)

This is the Redeemer stepping down to ‘take part of human life’ (Hebrews 2}

But why?  - to set an example for us?? – Yes (1 Peter 2) – so that we could follow His footsteps and be wholly dependant on God the Father like He was.

                He came as the last Adam, demonstrating submission  and obedience to God ( Romans 5) , in a relationship with God intended at the beginning. (Genesis 1)

                  He came to show what true communion with God was meant be. (Mark 1:35  14:36)

         But most important – it was in His undefiled humanity that He became the redeemer, the sacrificial lamb, the one choosing to taste death for everyone . (John 1, Hebrews 2).

The baby that could have excelled in every human skill, grew up in the humblest of beginnings, content to live in despised Nazareth, at age twelve chose to submit to Joseph and Mary, (even though He knew His true identity). He laboured as the carpenter’s son to be a tradesman instead of climbing the ladder of prominence. After His baptism He chose to serve God, by serving the people in Galilee of the Gentiles. By seeking to serve, rather than rule He sympathised with the people in their need, showing the shepherd heart of God.

 

At the appointed time, He gave His very life for peoples so undeserving.

That child born  perfect , lived a sinless life, was crucified and laid in a tomb misunderstood by all, - except by God. In God’s eyes, this child had become the Lamb of God, bearing away the sin of the world.

 

When men thought He was finished, God intervened and raised HIM from the dead, thus vindicating His claims to purity and deity. As the ascended man in heaven, He is holy, harmless and undefiled – a true man in heaven, the Saviour of all who believe in Him.

 

The WORD that became flesh had fulfilled the purpose of God so completely  that, then and now,  the promise is true:

“to as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become the children of God”. (John 1:12)

The true Identity of Jesus

 

A fisherman charged with telling the greatest message ever told.

“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His coming again. We have seen the majestic splendour with our own eyes. He received honour and glory from God the Father when God’s glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven “this is My Beloved Son, I am fully pleased with Him.”

We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with Him on the holy mountain.”  2 Peter 1

 

So important:

1.  Revelation in history

2.  Multiple witnesses in real life experience

3.  Moses and Elijah although living, became insignificant

4.  The voice was not an angel, rather from God the Father

5.  Second time Jesus is proclaimed by God as “The Son”

 

   Such was the dazzle of the experience that it was the Holy Spirit who moved Simon Peter to highlight the deep significance of this time alone with Jesus the Lord . Not some philosophical brainwave, or religious trance or academic research. Rather this was God giving a brief interruption to make known the identity of Jesus and the future kingdom of glory that will yet be His.

 

    In the gospel record (Matthew 17,Mark 9, Luke 9), it is quite important to note, Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah about His impending death!  - so essential to bring multitudes into that heavenly kingdom.

 

   This past experience gives power to present service:

1       - Who it is we serve

2       – Assurance of Divine revelation

3       – Anticipation of the eternal kingdom of glory

4       – this heavenly declaration removes the mask from the many religions that refuse to give Jesus his true identity and honour

 

The appearance  - Jesus the Holy one witnessed to by Moses and Elijah in the presence of Peter, James and John

The Voice   - the unique one revealed by God the Father, as the Beloved Son.

 

Well might Thomas say  -  “My Lord and my God”  (John 20)