Deity and Lordship of Christ

Mark 3, Romans 3

I slept a little later this morning, so I drove to a bus park-and-ride that is a little further south to save some time.  I got there about 30 seconds too late, so I read a little of the Scriptures as I waited.  Well, the Lord in His Sovereignty, answered my prayer this morning to give me opportunity to share the Gospel because He sat me down next to Mark, a Jehovah's Witness.  I wasn't in the seat two minutes before Mark handed me a pamphlet about the supremacy of the name Jehovah.  Within a few minutes of talking to this guy, I was amazed at how terribly deceived and confused he was.  He would ask me a question, I would give the Biblical response, and then he would try to give a rebuttal, but he would start stammering mid-sentence and then say in exasperation, "Oh, I forgot what I was going to say!".  I had my Bible open, and he called my attention to a few verses in Psalm and Revelation, but it became clear to me in our discussion that his most fundamental confusion was regarding the Deity of Christ.  He stated that Jesus was just a man, but I kindly corrected him.  I opened to Matthew 28 (which I read recently) and pointed to verse 9 where Jesus accepted worship from Mary and Mary.  This proves that He is deity!

I resumed my reading when I got to my office, and with the aforementioned conversational context, I was especially impressed by the Lordship of Jesus:

¹¹ And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, "You are the Son of God!"

The Deity of Christ and His Lordship over Creation is so profound that evil spirits in His presence are compelled to confess His identity!  It's like a violent knee-jerk reaction!  I wish I had thought to read Philippians 2:9-11 to Mark:

 ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
      and gave him the name above all other names,
 ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.

I think the Lord gave me this idea:  The Father and the Spirit reveal the person and work of the Son so that the Son can reveal the person and work of the Father and the Spirit.  It all hinges on Christ!

Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing the person of Jesus to me.  Jesus, I praise you for your Lordship over creation.  I humbly bow before you.  Lord, please use me as your servant.  Holy Spirit, please empower me to boldly preach the truth of the Gospel, and please continue to use me to set people free from captivity.  I ask in the powerful and supreme name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

healer and judge

Mark 2, Romans 2

Too many times, I forget to keep in mind this question as I read the Scriptures:  "What is God revealing about Himself through this passage?"

Jesus Christ has authority to forgive sins because He is God:

^{M 2:9} Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk'? ¹⁰ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ¹¹ "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

Jesus Christ is the Good Doctor, and He heals those who come to Him humbly:

^{M 2:17} When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

Jesus Christ is the final Judge:

^{R 2:16} And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.
^{R 2:7} He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. ⁸But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

It is interesting to me that it does NOT say that He will give eternal life to those who have "accepted Christ."  It says that He will give eternal life to those who live by faith in Jesus Christ and persist in doing good.  I did a little word search in several English translations, and the only verses that had the words "accept(ed)" and "Jesus/Christ" were about God accepting us because of Jesus, NOT us accepting Jesus.  I think some evangelicals have overemphasized the point of justification by faith that we have lost sight of sanctification that is proven by the perseverance of faith.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my warped perspective of you and your Word.  Lord, please continue to reveal yourself to me so that I may live rightly.  Lord, thank you for forgiving me and healing me through the person of Christ.  Lord, I want my life to please you so that on the day of judgment, you will be blessed by my life.  Please help me walk in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit so that I will be an overcomer.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

engagement

Mark 1, Romans 1

^{M 1:25} Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. ²⁶ At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. ²⁷ Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!" ²⁸ The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee. ...  ³² That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. ³³ The whole town gathered at the door to watch. ³⁴ So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. ...  ³⁸ But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came." ³⁹ So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

Why doesn't the Church engage hurting people and the enemy with the authority that Christ has given us (e.g., Matthew 28, Acts 28)?  Instead, we have created a false christianity of knowing ABOUT God instead of the true Christianity of KNOWING God and His Lordship (authority, power, and presence).  If we know Him, and He is in us and working through us, then wouldn't the operation of His Church emulate His own ministry?  Only, the primary advantage being that Christ's humanity limited Him to a single point in time-space, but since Christ is replicated in every Believer, He spans the geographical breadth of the world through His Church!  So, why don't we see droves of sick, crazy, and demon-posessed people healed at every Church meeting?  I mean, if word got around that people were regularly healed at a particular location, I can guarantee you that people would come out of the woodwork to give it a try.  Surely, it is not for lack of them (sick people or Church meetings).  No, instead we resort ourselves to practicing isolationism and fancy rhetoric.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for the way we currently operate, especially in America.  Holy Spirit, may we be moved by your presence and power to carry on the minstry of Christ - engaging people at the point of their needs, physical and spiritual.  Lord Jesus, may we seek to know you and express you to those who do not know you.  Lord, by your grace and mercy on the Cross, please use your Church to continue recovering what the lost.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who has all authority and power.  Amen.

authority

Matthew 28, Acts 28

The first thing I think the Lord gave me this morning was that the angel rolled the stone away from Christ's grave so that we could see in, not so that He could get out.  (Recall His special mode of presence demonstrated in several instances after His resurrection.)

But the thing that really impressed me this morning was the authority of His Kingdom.  It is what He taught about during His three years of ministry, so this should be the quintessential teaching and function of the Church:

^{M 28:18} Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Notice that the Apostle Paul understood the importance of the authority of Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom:

^{A 28:21} [The Jewish leaders in Rome] replied, "We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. ²² But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere." ²³ So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. ... ³⁰ For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, ³¹ boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, you are the Sovereign Creator, and I worship you.  You are worthy of all the praise I can give you because you are so good.  Lord, please let me commune wit the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit today, and please help me humbly and devotedly obey all your commandments.  I humbly submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; please show me your kind and patient guidance.  Thank you for the promise of your presence.  Please help me seek first your Kingdom and righteousness and trust you to take care of all the other details.  Lord, please use my life to lead others into the practice of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray.  Amen.

ironies

Matthew 27, Acts 27

I am amazed a the the saturation of irony every time I read the account of Christ's betrayal, arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion:

• Caiaphas, the high priest, demands Jesus "in the name of the living God" to tell if He is the Son of God.  Of course He is the Son of God, and He is God!  So, they demanded Him to swear by Himself.  Then, when He gave a true testimony, the high council screamed "Blasphemy!" as if they knew the truth.  Can you imagine screaming in God's face that He is not God?!  It is especially disturbing because these guys were supposedly the experts on knowing God.
  
• With a guilty confession, Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver, but the leading priests wouldn't put it in the treasury because it was "blood money".  Somehow they thought it reasonable to murder Jesus, but it was wrong to use the returned money because it bought His murder.
• The leading priests convince the people to ask Pilot to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus.  What?!
  
• Most of the people observing the crucifixion were mocking Jesus and suggesting that if He was really the Son of God to climb down of the cross.  Can you imagine the absurdity of the creation mocking the Creator?!  Can you imagine the magnitude of the love and patience of Christ to obey the will of the Father and give up His spirit on the cross so that the wrath of God's perfect justice could be absorbed by the only possible solution?!

Heavenly Father, your mercy is tremendous, and your love is extravagant.  As I consider the passion of Christ, I am amazed at how you could be patient enough to delay our punishment of sin and how you could love us so much to sacrifice your own Son to absorb our punishment.  Father, may I live in response to your love.  Please fill me with your love, and use me to pour your love into others.  May you be glorified in my life today.  Lord, may my attitude be the same of Jesus Christ - that my life is a sacrifice to you and that you will spend me as you choose - in accomplishing your good will.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight O God, my Rock and my Redeemer.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, my holy Sacrifice.  Amen.

the end in mind

Matthew 24, Acts 24

This passage is always sobering to me, especially this section:

^{M 24:9} "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. ¹⁰ And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. ¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. ¹² Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Heavenly Father, I trust your sovereignty.  Please forgive me for being distracted in the world instead of engaging people with the Gospel of your Kingdom.   May the Lordship of Jesus Christ be evident in my life today, and may my life be a humble reflection of your infinite love.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

humility

Matthew 23, Acts 23

Jesus condemned the Pharisees and teachers of the law for two fundamental problems: pride and hypocrisy.  I think most people are consciously aware of most of their own hypocrisy, but pride is so stealth!

As I consider Paul's experience of being kept in prison, though he did no wrong, I am reminded of Christ's own experience.  I can only imagine the humility gained through such an experience.  This humility comes not from internal self depreciation, but from growing awareness of the Lordship of Christ - His authority, power, and presence:

^{A 23:11} That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well."

Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching me through your Word.  Lord, please forgive me for the pride and hypocrisy in my life.  Lord, I need your deliverance.  Please deliver me from being proud of my religious exercises, like the Pharisees were.  I pray that I will tithe, pray, read the Word, and exercise my Spiritual Gifts so that I can know you more and advance your Kingdom - for your glory, not mine.  Lord, please clean my mind and heart so that I will be a pure vessel for you to flow through.  And as you allow trial and testing, may I have a proper attitude of seeking you and trusting you so that I will grow in humility.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, my example and source of humility.  Amen.