HE KNEW

The young lad of twelve, in the temple in Jerusalem, was interested in more than a ‘Bar Mitzvah’.  He knew God as His Father and knew that He was on a mission according to God’s will ( Luke 2.49 )

            After Jesus was  identified and anointed by the Holy Spirit at the river Jordan, He eventually went to Nazareth and in the synagogue He opened the scroll of the Old Testament  at Isaiah 61. After reading the prophecy of a Messiah who would bring mercy to the people, He turned and said,” Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing “. He knew His calling as Messiah, the Christ.

        Another day He said to a cripple man, “ Your sins are forgiven you “.  Correctly the religious leaders said  “who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Jesus knew their reasoning and reinforced the point  - He could forgive sins (as God) as well as reverse the sickness  flowing from sin. He knew their thoughts and He knew who He was.

        On various occasions ( as the feeding of 5000 ) , the people wanted to make Him their leader and king. To any ambitious Rabbi, this would have been the moment of opportunity, but for the Lord of glory, man’s approval and praise was a very small thing. He knew His path of service was determined by the Father’s will, which meant sacrifice not success.  (John 10)

        When it came to His teaching and parables, much indicated that He knew the future development of the Kingdom of God. e.g. the sowing of the seed, the growth as a mustard seed etc and the later parables include the king departing for a long time, later to return to reap the harvest and reward His faithful ones. All earthly kings establish themselves in power and glory, knowing it will not  last.  This king saw His future beyond the horizon and in God’s time. He knew tomorrow like today.

Some of His prophetic utterances have already been fulfilled. This gives credence to those yet to be fulfilled. A very obvious one is the prophecy  regarding the destruction of the temple – He said” the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another” (Luke 21.6).   This is precisely what happened in AD 70. Others could be quoted. He knew history forward as well as backward.

            As the days of service to the people passed, his face turned to Jerusalem.  Not  there to be crowned, but from His own lips He identified the greater purpose of His journey – to die as a ransom, to give His life for the sheep, to give His flesh for the life of the world, to be lifted up, reconciling the world unto Himself.  It was this burden that was slowly and  deliberately  revealed to the twelve Apostles. He knew He would be rejected by the leadership of the Jews. He knew He would be betrayed. He detailed to them that He would be handed over to the Gentiles for mockery, insults, and unjust execution. But interestingly, most of these foretelling concluded with Him announcing that He would rise again from the dead. ( Luke  9.22 , 44 etc ) To add to the significance of this foretelling, in Luke 24, the angel said “Remember how He spoke to you”.  He knew the tomorrow of suffering, but turned not away from it.

Many  more foretellings  are to be searched out e.g. as Jonah, as Moses lifted up the serpent..., a baptism to be baptised, the beloved son killed etc.

I come closer to His last visit to Jerusalem  - He weeps over the city because He knew they would make the  wretched choice to reject Him. As  He approached the city, He knew the correct prophetic way from the Old Testament, for the Messiah to present himself to the people. He mounts the donkey and this time accepts the praise and hosanna’s of the crowd. “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”

This is no ordinary man - this is the Son of God who knew all things!

To be continued – Comments  and questions johnmckee@internode.on.net

A good man - a tribute to David

He was a Christian gentleman. He lived for God, for his family , for others. His consistent faith in God enabled him to live righteously, generously and with definite purpose - for the glory of God.
    Let us who feel the loss, treasure the memories of the past and look ahead with steadfast hope  as he did.

     I  present from his bible the inner spring that motivated him to live with purpose and to die with hope.
Titus 1:1    " remind them ......... to do good"  Many can testify that David did  'good'     -   good in character, good in words,  good in generosity, good in the family.    But what was it that made him good?  He had a good parentage, he had a good wife,  but the real secret is revealed in the verse following.
Titus 3:4-7

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

* Kindness - God chose to look our way

* Love  - God acted in our best interest

* Mercy  - God pushed back the judgement which we deserved

* Washing - God removing the stain and habits of sin

* Renewing  -  God changing the motive, purpose and direction of life

* Grace -  God giving good even when we don't deserve it 

         These are the things which David welcomed into his life.  This change of character is not through religion or reform, but through Jesus Christ.  The Lord Jesus was once crucified to pay the debt of our old life, and is now risen and ascended to give us new life - eternal life.

What is this 'eternal life'

      Some scoff at the idea of an afterlife, or the notion of rising from the dead.

Well, the sheaf of wheat very well illustrates resurrection. As a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies,  then it springs forth into life - one seed producing many seeds. So is the resurrection of the dead.
 Another voice is the voice of many who have been to the other side and back again - all testifying to consciousness beyond death. I have worked with such . But beyond the voice of man is the voice of the Lord Jesus.  David believed that Jesus told no lies. So let us listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd.
John 10.9 'I am the door, by me if any one enter in, he will be saved.'
   -- the invitation for all to enter into the Shepard's care.
John 10.11 ' I am the good Shepherd and I give my life for the sheep'
   --  the price He was willing to pay for the life of the sheep.
John 10;27 ' My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.  I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.'
   --- David listened often to the Shepherd's voice as he read this Bible. He knew the Lord and followed Him. He could claim this eternal life, as  a gift from God.
   Eternal life    --  being secure in the family of God
                     --  Inheriting the character of God (changed)
                     --  Enjoying the home of God (heaven)
                     --  To know God through Jesus Christ our Lord
All this because the God loved the people of this world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
It was this eternal life that enabled David to live life with purpose and to face death without fear.

Another verse from Titus 2:13
  " Looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
   David enjoyed a little booklet ' Herald of Hope'. He had his eyes on a hope beyond the horizon. Beyond the struggles, disappointments and successes of life, he looked for the day when the Lord Jesus Christ would be victorious over all evil, and all believers would be gathered home.This is God's glorious tomorrow, when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

I stand today next to David and beseech all ' be ye reconciled to God'
 I close with a beautiful Hymn:
"What a day that will be

Imperatives in the life of the Lord Jesus

"Must"       -    in John's Gospel

"Even so Must the Son of man be lifted up"  John 3.14      Salvation for all could only be through the cross, and only for those who look to Him in faith.

"He must increase, I must decrease" John 3.30     John, the man sent from God, pointed people away from himself to Christ.

"He must go through Samaria" John 4.4             The Lord Jesus deliberately  seeks out  the woman of Samaria to give Living water, to meet her greatest need.

" I must work the work of Him that sent me" John 9.4       For Him the priority was to do the Father's will and so for us - now is the time to work. Opportunity will soon be over.

"Them also I must bring"  John 10.16     The vision of the Lord embraced Jews and Gentiles to be together in one flock.

"The Son of Man must be lifted up."   John 12.34      The death of the Lord on the cross had a distinct purpose    - for the sin of the whole world both Jews and Gentiles.

"He must rise again from the dead"   John 20.9     For God to fulfil His plans, Christ must rise from among the dead ones.  Through His resurrection and ascension, all believers have received the Holy Spirit.

Contributed by David Story of Cleve

His Knowing

" And when the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him" Luke 22.14
   This simple statement means what it say - the time to celebrate the Passover feast had arrived. The flow of communication to the Apostles in the following discourse is quite astounding and revealing.
        He makes distinct prophetic statements concerning His impending death. He claims many prophetic Old Testament scriptures as to be fulfilled in Himself. This has several significances, one being that the disciples understood a most significant sign of the Messiah was His ability to know all things (Johnn16). I would like to write a few articles on the foretelling of Jesus, in particular relating to His death . He not only knew the history of the past, but He knew history before it happened!
        This is also true of His knowledge of people He knew them too well, yet He chose to love them!

       The wonder of it all........ that Jesus loves me

John the Apostle puts it so well
"Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end"  (John 13.1)

Let none say 'no one ever loved me'   - God so loved the people of this world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Reconciliation

    In our world today, one might rightly ask the question - 'What has gone wrong?'  ....a world full of strife, violence, greed, poverty, a world where standards of morality are turned upside down and authority is rebelled against. Security for the future is gone and relationships in families and between nations are disintegrating.
      May I interrupt this morose description with the Bible storyline.

    When God made all things, He made it 'good'.  When He made man and woman He made them 'good ' with the added favour of being able to 'choose'.  And choose they did   -  Eve chose to 'listen' to the evil one and Adam chose to disobey God. The precious spiritual link with God was broken. Cain murdered his brother and thus set in motion the ongoing conflict between tribes and nations.
     Where was God in all this?  In the garden it is God who comes looking for Adam - "Adam where are you?"   In the preaching of Noah, God is calling the people back to righteousness, but they would not listen.  In the priest Melchizedeck, God was entreating the nations to draw near to worship the true and living God.   In the person of Abraham, He was demonstrating the real possibility of a personal relationship with God.  Then Israel as a nation was established to stand as a beacon of light among the nations. They were to represent God dwelling on earth, God's holiness in the law and sacrifices and God's grace as they interacted with others.  Their failure with consequential judgements was to be a voice of warning from God. Some noticed God thus at work , but most made the choice to ignore God and do their own thing. History is abundant with nations rising, rejecting God and then falling.

     Then a most significant thing happened  --  God Himself appeared in the person of Jesus Christ.  His stated mission was not to put the world right, but as a rescue mission to call people from the state of disconnect and rebellion to the God intended state of reconciliation and relationship.   The terms stated were simple  -- Believe God and receive His earthly representative, His Son Jesus.    The means of reconciliation were filled in by God Himself  i.e. paying the debt of sin, removing the curse of a broken law, removing the stain of rebellion, breaking the chains of Satan, causing light to shine by His holy Spirit etc.
    The call of Jesus was often repeated  --  Repent and believe the Good news!

     Where are we 2000 years later? The world at large still do not believe in Him. The religions of the world operate best without Him. The most of the Jews consider Jesus a false Messiah. The nations prefer to legislate according to the will of the people rather than the will of God. Most educational systems have eliminated the true Gospel of repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If God gets a mention at all ,He is considered to be a helper of humanities endeavours to be better.
       Well what ought God do?  Justice calls for God's wrath to be executed upon this world in its rebellion - and it will be.  But in the present time God is calling people to repent of their wandering ways, rebellious attitudes and indifference.  His patience interrupts the voice of vengence, for He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should be saved.
      His terms remain simple and His promises sure.
'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'  Romans 10.13
For those more enlightened
  "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"  Romans 10.9
   
     Much is wrong in our world today,  and the Bible record is the best explanation why. I plead with all to turn from the distractions around us and seek the Lord - He is not far from everyone of us. Perhaps the greatest hindrance of reconciliation is the pride and conceit within us. The idea of saying 'God is right and I am wrong ' seems too much.

     May all who read these lines, repent (turn from self and sin to God) and believe in (sincere faith and trust) the Lord Jesus Christ.

John McKee         johnmckee@internode.on.net

Signs

      Throughout the ages, people have sought after signs, in particular spectacular signs.The Lord Jesus made a very serious statement " an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign" (Matthew 12.39). Faith in the Lord Jesus needs no sign. Believing His Word because we believe who He is - Son of God - brings the greatest of blessings - eternal life. The Gospel writers do highlight many signs to verify the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God, but to keep asking for signs shows a lack of sincere faith.

        But then Jesus told the crowd that a sign would be given. This sign still divides humanity - the sign of Jonah. How shall we find compass directions to understand this significant sign?
   1  Read three times the whole discourse of the Lord  .... Luke 11.29-30
   2  Read the story of Jonah in the Old Testament.
       Read the story of the Queen of Sheba in the Old Testament.
        ( I will let you search for these, maybe use a concordance)
   3  Carefully note what the Jesus says in Luke 11, and check what He intends to be understood about Jonah before jumping to preconceived conclusions.
   4  Compare it with the other Gospel accounts, about the sign of Jonah (using marginal references?).
   5  Pray for the Holy Spirit of God to help you think this through.
   6  Eliminate from the story of Jonah story what does not link with Jesus eg running away, grumbling about God's mercy.
   7   Put together the points that do connect with the life of the Lord Jesus  eg Jonah commissioned, Jonah went down, Jonah comes up, Jonah preached etc
   Conclusion  - the 'sign of Jonah', in particular refers to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

     Though the last 2000 years, what has been the question of eternal significance?  -it  is this- 'is Jesus risen from the dead and alive today?'  This question still divides humanity.  Some believe, some mock.
      "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."    Romans 10.9

       But wait, I have missed something in the story. Jesus said that in the 'day of judgement', the men of Nineveh will stand as witnesses against those who had the greater privilege of listening to the person greater than Jonah - the Messiah Jesus. We must ponder this carefully to be sure of what we are reading and its implications for us. Does this mean that others of less opportunity than us will testify against our lack of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord ? And when? - on Gods final judgement day?

      What about the queen of Sheba?  She went to great effort to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Jesus claims to be greater than Solomon, in particular His words of Divine wisdom.  What have we done with the teaching of Jesus?  - ignored it?  Discredit it?  misinterpret it for convenience?    or hear it and obey it.
The implications are serious and eternal!

      The Lord goes on in the discourse with an unusual twist. The light we let into our minds (greater than Solomon) controls the whole of our being. Paul understood this when he encouraged the Christians at Colossee  'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly'
 Using the figure of light , The Lord implies that His teaching must needs permeate our whole being to eliminate darkness.

     As He being the light, fills our being, we can then let our ' lights so shine'

J. McKee      johnmckee@internode.on.net

Who is this child?

         Questions are an important part of discovering truth.

The first question in the Bible is very revealing - "Where are you?" Genesis 3

My question relates to the child Jesus, and to find one accurate answer among many,  I turn to the Gospel by Luke. He records the interview between the angel Gabriel, from God's presence, and Mary.  The angel's description of the child to be born, was most revealing.
         He would be the heir to King David's throne, and sitting on that throne he would reign forever (Hasn't yet been fulfilled).  He would be great (in what way?) and He would be called the Son of the Most High.  This could be none other than the long awaited Messiah. As the Son of the Most High, the Jews understood that to mean, equality with God.

    1:35  The child would be holy. Many children born, were then dedicated to the Lord, but He alone was born distinct from any taint of sin, wholly presentable to the Lord.  As the Son of God, He stood distinguished from all the sons of Adam, and is able to rightly represent God upon earth.

      The many complicated implications of the virgin conception may have caused others to flee from thus being used of God, but Mary submits to Divine purposes and worships.
       May we also worship HIM.  May we likewise know the grace of acceptance of the will of God, even if we don't understand how it will all work out - God does know!

      It is a delightful study to trace in the scriptures what the angels have said about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In particular in Luke 24 and Acts 1.  God's angels tell no lies.

Until we see His face, trust Him, love Him, Obey Him

John McKee