Jesus

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In my Advent readings today I was reminded of Simeon in Luke 2:25-32 and a most precious painting I dearly love and wish I owned a copy of by Ron Dicianni of Simeon’s Moment which was inspired by this scripture:

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Simeon’s Moment by Ron DIcianni

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

After He was circumcised on the 8th day according to Jewish custom, He was given the name I?sous (what we call “Jesus”) which is of Hebrew origin of the name “Joshua” meaning “Jehovah is salvation.” This was the name that the Angel Gabriel had told the virgin Mary to give to the baby that she was about to conceive. Don’t you just love the intentionality of a name? Jesus is salvation!

I imagine how overjoyed Simeon was as he held the Savior of the world! I really love this print so much because of the expression on his face as he held the precious babe, Jesus, knowing what he knew and the imprint of the world in the background. It brings this scripture alive for me and brings me joy and hope! Jesus came for all of us and Simeon knew it! We too can have that same joy as we come to fully understand the price He paid for us. He had to come to earth as fully God and yet fully man to make it real for us and show us a way back to Himself. He knows we need real life examples to follow. And once we believe by faith, He places His Holy Spirit in us guaranteeing what is yet to come!

He has allowed us to see Him as He came to earth in human form and through this wisdom which has now been revealed to all mankind. Will you accept this redemption in your life? The Savior of the world is calling your name…

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“Jesus wept.” John 11:35, ESV I was reminded of this verse today by a dear friend who also is an excellent Psychologist.

I think what is so profound about this short verse is that it shows the deep compassion and humanity of Christ for those He loves. He wept. It literally means that He shed tears and it means to weep silently or shed quiet (actual) tears. Christ wept when He heard the news of Lazarus’ death and when He witnessed those who were mourning for Lazarus. Not only did He weep, but it says He was deeply moved and His spirit was greatly troubled.

Have you wept like this? Remember “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16, NIV

And “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”…”For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 17-18, ESV

Romans 12:15 says we are to weep with those who weep. When we weep, Christ weeps.

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He is Risen!

He is risen indeed! John 20-21

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Sometimes our sorrows and griefs can be so overwhelming that we wish we could die or have contemplated taking our lives in suicide. This is sorrow at its worst, when we think we can’t go on anymore. And then the Enemy uses our thoughts to attack us in these lowest times. He is the deceiver and destroyer of life. Don’t listen to the lies, you are not alone.

On a night of intense sorrows, and after Jesus had shared Passover with His disciples He went to Gethsemane to pray. He took three of his closest friends with Him: Peter, James and John. Jesus “began to be sorrowful and troubled and He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little further he fell on his face and prayed saying. ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.” Matthew 26:36-40, ESV

Jesus was indeed sorrowful and anguished. Luke tells us that He even sweat drops of blood in that anguish. Even the grove itself was a place where olives were pressed. And Jesus was pressed here, in this moment; even before He experienced death on a cross for you and me. He suffered greatly. He was betrayed and then beaten and humiliated unto death. He bore it all. His purpose from before time, when He was in the Godhead was the way of the Cross.

Yes, He knows our deep sorrows and griefs that we suffer. He went to death so that we would be freed from the bondage of sin and death. No intense grief or sorrow that permeates our souls could ever be greater than what He bore in His body, because He bore it all, from all of us, for all of us. When all the sins of the world were laid upon His shoulders as the One and only perfect sacrifice, for that brief moment, He was all alone. Intense heaviness, through and through. Even in that moment, Satan thought he had defeated Jesus in death. But we know, on that third day, Christ raised Himself from the grave and He now lives. This is our hope for all humanity! Because He lives, we live!

Jesus has promised us, He is with us always – forever! He will never leave or forsake us. He is God with us and now His Holy Spirit lives in us as a deposit and guarantee that He is coming back for us! Lift your eyes up to the One who rescues you and forgives you of ALL your sins. He bears all of your burdens and sorrows. He mourns with those who mourn. He draws near to the broken-hearted. He is the forgiver of sins and He is the giver of all LIFE!

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In a recent Precepts Bible study, we were discussing what it meant as the church “to be the fullness in him (Christ) who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:23, NIV) The original Greek word for ‘fulness’ pleroma means to be replete or complete. Complete meaning completion, an object that is being filled with contents, or a container. And the root of that word came from the Greek word pleroo which also means to be replete or covered over. But the greatest word picture it gave me was the literal definition of which it meant ‘to cram’ as in a net. Hmmm…

I started to think of when Jesus was starting his ministry and was calling the first disciples. Early in the morning after they had been out all night fishing on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus approaches Simon & Co., as they start to clean their nets and close up shop. They had fished all night and not gotten a single fish! Jesus tells them to throw out their nets for a catch and Simon tries to explain to Jesus that there weren’t any fish to be caught out there, but then gives in and says he will do it. They put the nets down and then, “bam!” they are crammed so full of fish that the nets were starting to break. Another, hmmm…

I then looked up the definition of ‘replete’ and it stated that replete was not a synonym of ‘complete’ but rather meant to be abundantly supplied, abounding, filled to satiation, even gorged! Why did I ever think I was partially full: or like a glass of water, full to where I wouldn’t spill over, but short of completely full?

What if we truly began to believe as Christians that we are these vessels or containers that are crammed as full as those nets were, but in Christ, ready to burst with more than enough? As I pondered this profound word picture, I started to realize, I didn’t need to grasp at anything more to feel “filled up,” but thanks to my salvation in Christ, everything that I had was already enough – more than enough! I could finally understand the confidence I have in Him. No matter what hand life had dealt me, Jesus tells me I am replete and complete in Him! Crammed full!

If you are in Christ, you too, are crammed full! WOW! How exciting is that??!!

 

 

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Hebrews 7: 24-25, NIV

“but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

Think on these two things:

1. He saves completely those who come to God through Him – not partially and not only if you do x, y, z  just right. Completely doesn’t mean there is anything left unfinished. Your salvation is complete. It was complete at the cross when He sacrificed and offered Himself up for your sins once and for all. If you have come to God through Christ Jesus you are saved completely, entirely and to the uttermost. There is nothing more you have to do for it and no one can take your salvation away from you. Rest in that.

2. He always lives to intercede for those who are saved by Him. As you are struggling in your faith and walk, as life gets hard, as friends betray you, when you are tempted beyond what you think you can handle, as you lose your job, when you don’t know how you are going to feed your family or where you will find another job…as you struggle to see hope in dark times, as you wonder if anyone really cares about you anymore,  as you find yourself tired and weary…. Jesus knows what you are facing in that very moment, He knows what you need and He LIVES to intercede on your behalf before the Father. What does it feel like to know that you have a Savior who approaches the Father on your behalf? Who stands ready to speak up for you. Would you keep going? Would you pass up that temptation? Would you do whatever it takes knowing that on the other side of eternity someone is working on your behalf?

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In honor of Palm Sunday: Matthew 21:1-17, ESV

In thinking about Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem, He fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah so it would be complete “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey.” Zech 9:9, ESV

When we think about his triumphal entry into our own hearts (when we first placed our faith in Him), did we hope that He would take all our suffering away, right then and there? Did we hope, like the Jews of His day, that trusted and believed in Him, that He would establish His kingdom right then and there and reign righteously, forever? That we wouldn’t experience any more suffering at the hands of others? Much to all of our earthly disappointments, He did not do what we thought He should do, but He did what was greater for us by establishing His kingdom eternally, which is yet to be seen here on earth – except in the body of His Church at this time. He has set an example of entry… a low and humble righteous king, not any different than the low and humble babe born in a stable with smelly animals and a feed trough not fit for a king…yet it was! Because it was all a part of prophecy being fulfilled. And there is still more to come. God’s word is true and He is faithful. Scripture proves scripture!

What if, our pain and suffering brings us down low in humility to learn how to be the same servant that washed the feet of those we love and those whom we know will betray us. Will they find out who He is as a result? What am I willing to allow in my life? Will you and I allow Jesus to cleanse the temple of our hearts? Because that is where He went next… and after He did, He healed the blind and the lame and the children praised Him. Will we see? Will we walk? Will we praise?

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Matthew 6:25-34, ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

There are so many troubles and worries in our world right now. Nothing is sure except the fact that God remains the same, from beginning to end. Such great hope! Everything He said in His word has come true, is true and will come true. He is the God of the past, the present and the future. Nothing happens that doesn’t surprise Him. If He cared so much to put everything into place for you and me, don’t you think He cares enough to provide all of our answers and needs? And if He knows you down to numbering even the tiniest hairs on your head, to know you before you were even knitted in your mother’s womb, how much more will He continue on until the day of completion all the work He began in you. Worry will rob us of being able to enjoy all that He has for us today. Trust that He will take care of you. He has conquered! And in the end, 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. (Phil 2:11, ESV) Try to extend your vision outward on the big picture. How can you trust in the One who made you and remain faithful to wait upon His provisions instead of taking it into your own hands? Is it possible He will grow your character in the meantime and continue to mature you into His own likeness?