Monthly Archives: January 2023

WHO IS THE HIRELING OF JOHN 10?

Christian Life, ,

WHO IS THE HIRELING OF JOHN 10?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:10-13

Times without number, I have heard preachers, teachers, and every other category of believer in Jesus, refer to the devil as the one who comes to “kill, steal, and destroy”. Never once, in all my Christian experience, have I ever heard or read a query to this interpretation.

Yet, when I read Jesus’ words in John 10, nowhere does He refer to Satan in His teaching about the hireling and the Good Shepherd. His debate was not with the devil whom He could vanquish with the Word, but with the religious leaders who twisted the Word to suit their own purposes.

In His teaching on the Good Shepherd, Jesus contrasted Himself with the “hireling” who had no interest in the sheep but in what he could gain from shepherding them. When danger or difficulty came, the hireling abandoned the sheep to save his own skin. No mention of the devil here!

By contrast, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, not only takes good care of the sheep whom He knows by name, but He also sacrificed His own life for His flock.

Who, then, was the hireling? Surely, Jesus was referring to the religious leaders, with whom He continually contended because they cared more about themselves than about God’s people. He called them “hypocrites”, play-actors who played the role of “shepherd” to impress their audience.

Matthew 23:2-7; 13-36 is a painful exposure of those who masquerade as shepherds but behave as hirelings. On many occasions, Jesus pointed out their dishonest use of the Law.

“For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’  But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’  In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.  And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

Mark 7:10-13 NLT

These religious leaders were so dishonest that they refused to weigh all the evidence that Jesus was the Messiah and the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. They rejected His claim that His authority came from God. Instead, they crucified Him as a blasphemer because He claimed (and proved by the Word, His works, and the witness of the Father) that He was the Son of God.

Yes, Satan was behind their attitudes and behaviour but, in the end, they made their choices and were the greatest threat to Jesus’ mission. They influenced the people against Jesus despite all the miracles He did for them. Although they made the decision to crucify Jesus, they were ultimately accountable to God, the highest authority, for what they had done.

“Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.” Matthew 27:20 NLT

‘Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!” And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

Matthew 27:24-25 NLT

Peter laid the guilt for Jesus’ death squarely at the door of the Jews, including all those, led by the religious leaders, who had clamoured for His death.

“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.”

Acts of the Apostles 2:22-23 NLT

Nowhere did Peter on the day of Pentecost, give credit to the devil for having Jesus crucified. It was the human will by human hands that killed Him. What of today?

There are many “hirelings” in places of leadership in churches across the world today, people who are filthy rich at the expense of the  “sheep” who depend on them for care and guidance. These are the ones who kill, steal and destroy since those who follow them are robbed of money, wisdom and life itself.

Unfortunately, these hirelings are often difficult to identify because they masquerade as shepherds or, as Jesus said, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. We can identify them by their fruit.

I am very wary of those who get people to give either by offering them a reward or by making them feel guilty if they don’t give. Many great so-called compassion ministries are built on the money the big names get out of their followers while they gather wealth for themselves.

Three things motivate the hireling that contradict what Jesus taught about the way of God’s kingdom; fame, power and money. Look for these “fruits” in the lives of false shepherds and stay away from them and their teachings.

The tragedy is that, though these false shepherds will take the rap for what they have done, the sheep who blindly follow them will also be lost because they have exchanged the truth for lies.

God holds every individual responsible for what he/she believes and how his/her belief system directs their lives. He has given us the New Covenant in His Word to show us how and provide everything we need to live godly lives.

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT

No one can hide behind ignorance as an excuse. We are told to test everything and hold fast to what is good.

“Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.”

1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 NLT

Jesus warned us that deception will be the greatest threat to believers as time draws to an end. Fear and deception are the devil’s most effective tools, and hirelings his most efficient allies in his quest to draw people away from simple faith in Jesus.

So, my beloved friends, beware of the hirelings who are everywhere and out to lure you away by their smooth-tongued and convincing words that twist God’s Word, pander to your flesh and set you on the path to destruction.

Remain “in Christ”, abide in Him and in His Word. He is your only place of truth and safety.

WHEN THE CRUNCH COMES – ABRAHAM’S FINAL TEST

Christian Life, ,

WHEN THE CRUNCH COMES – ABRAHAM’S FINAL TEST

I often reflect on Abraham’s journey of faith because he has many lessons to teach us from his responses to God’s interaction with him.

If God had given up on Abraham after his many failures, there would be no history of Israel and no Messiah to take away our sins and restore us to fellowship with God as children in His family.

Fortunately for Abraham, God knew the course of his journey from beginning to end. When Abraham’s doubts and even unbelief led him into detours in God’s plans, God patiently put up with him and took him back to His promises, even if the consequences of Abraham’s failures caused him trouble and pain.

After the slow process of growing trust in God through trials and experience, Abraham’s most crucial test came when God said, “Abraham, go kill the very son through whom all the promises I made to you will come about. Yes, Abraham, give me the one and only son who was born to you through a miracle and whom you love more than anything in the world, and watch what I will do.”

Did Abraham trust God enough to obey the Lord without question? Let’s see what happened.

Did you notice something in the story? Abraham was silent! No questions; no resistance; no bargaining. He was also obedient! No hesitation; no dragging his feet; no conversation with Sarah; no plan B, just in case… This was HIS test, and he acted promptly. They, Abraham, Isaac and the servants, left after careful preparation, early in the morning, while Sarah was still asleep.

Abraham was so confident in God’s promise, and His power and wisdom to fulfil it that he… assured the servants that THEY would be back and… he assured Isaac that GOD would provide the lamb for the sacrifice!

“It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”  Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.”

Hebrews 11:17-19 NLT

This was to be the TEST of all tests. God’s tests all eventually reach the same  point, “Abraham, do you love me more than your greatest treasure?”

After Peter’s failure, Jesus asked him the same question, not “Simon, are you sorry for what you did?” but, “Simon, do you love me more than these…?”

This is the essence of true faith. “Do you love me more than…” If we can honestly answer, “Yes Lord, I love you enough to give you or do for you anything you ask of me,” then, like Abraham, we have passed the greatest test we will ever be put through.

This kind of test rests on our utmost confidence in God’s love for us, that He will never do or ask us to give or do anything that will contradict His promise that He works in all things for our good.

Faith in the faithfulness of God puts God’s promises in the category of “non-negotiable”, based on God’s character that He cannot lie. Therefore, to love God is to stand squarely and unwaveringly on His promises in the face of apparent contradictions and never to give up until His promises are fulfilled.

“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.”

Romans 4:20-21 NLT

So, God’s Word encourages us…

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

Hebrews 6:12 NIV

This love for God in response to His love for us is what John meant when he wrote:

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

1 John 4:17-18 NLT

If we cling to our dearest treasure, afraid that God will take it away to punish us for some infringement of His holiness, God will wait until we trust His love enough to relinquish that treasure to Him.

Imagine how light-hearted Abraham must have felt on his way home with Isaac. Isaac was still his beloved son but no longer his concern because God had shown him that He had no intention of depriving him of his son. His promise still stood that through Isaac all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

Have you noticed something else about Abraham’s journey of faith? After Genesis 22, no more record of tests, only blessing; a second wife after Sarah’s death; more sons and great wealth; a worthy wife for Isaac, his miracle son of promise, and descendants through Isaac. Life went on on the blessing and favour of God.

Jesus promised us an abundant life if we follow Him. This abundant life is not about health, wealth, and happiness. This life is about love, joy and peace which are the fruit of unwavering faith in God’s love for us.

No storm, however severe, will shake us from our confidence in that love when no other love stands between us and the Father.

Jesus had an issue with the church at Ephesus. “You have left your first love, not the love you had for me when you first believed, but your love for me in response to my love for you because I loved you first before you ever loved me.”

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 NIV

It’s His “first love” that steadies us in every storm and cautions us when the tempter comes to lure us from the path of perfect trust. It’s the power of this great love that strengthens us to say “No!“ to the flesh, and ” Yes!” to the Spirit as we constantly engage in the battle to be holy.

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”

Galatians 5:16-18 NLT

God the Father gave us His dearest treasure, His one and only Son, not to be saved from death as Isaac was, but to be savagely beaten and crucified for us, only to defeat death forever and to offer us ETERNAL LIFE, if we believe in Him.

In conclusion, let’s go back to Abraham for a minute. What was God’s verdict on Abraham’s act of faith and obedience?

“… Now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Genesis 22:12 NLT

Love… Trust… Fear… These are so closely intertwined in our relationship with God that we can use them interchangeably.

To fear God, then, is to love and trust Him so implicitly and to hold Him in such awe, honour and reverence that we dread even a nano-second of disconnection from Him through sin or unbelief.

Our love for Him grows, as, we remain rooted in His love for us.

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”

Jude 1:20-21 NLT

THE MYSTERY OF THE TREES

Christian Life, ,

THE MYSTERY OF THE TREES

I have often puzzled over the account of the Fall in Genesis 3. It’s a weird story if we take it literally. It’s no wonder sceptics question the truth of Scripture and read the story as a myth. Some of us simply ignore ordinary good common sense and believe the details as though they actually happened.

There is much in Scripture that is figurative, symbolic and makes no sense if taken literally.

Is this practice of interpreting everything literally a valid way of understanding the Bible? If so, then we must read every parable Jesus told as a literal story, and miss the deeper spiritual truths He was teaching.

One of His purposes for teaching in parables was to separate the casual hearer who had no intention of responding from the earnest listener who desired to have more of the truth. 

“He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding, otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!’  … “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.  Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

Mark 4:11-12, 24-25 NIV

Hebrew people interpreted according to function, not form: for example, God hid Moses in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His hand. However, God is Spirit. He does not have hands, wings, feathers etc., according to the descriptions of Him in the Bible. To take this action of God literally would contradict who He is.

So, how do we interpret these details? Hebrews would ask the question, “What does a hand do? “, not,” What does a hand look like?”

What if the fruit trees in the Garden of Eden were not literal trees but something else with far bigger implications? What if they are symbolic of a theme that runs through the whole Bible?

“Fruit” in Scripture is often used of the consequences of words and actions, e.g.,

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.”

Proverbs 11:30 NIV

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,…”

Galatians 5:22 NIV

God often used word pictures that people could understand to illustrate the deeper truths of His dealings with people.

Take, for example, Daniel’s prophetic visions about beasts representing kingdoms. God actually identified them as kingdoms in His explanation of the visions.

“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things:… “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.”

Daniel 7:15-16, 23 NIV

Is it possible that the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” in the Garden of Eden also represented a kingdom – the one over which Satan had control?

“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: “ ‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?  Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage…. “ ‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendour and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. “ ‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord .’ ”

Ezekiel 31:2-3, 18 NIV

Ezekiel 31 is an interesting chapter about God’s judgement of the “trees” of Assyria and Egypt. Here, trees obviously represent the kingdoms of Assyria and Egypt.

THE WAR OF THE KINGDOMS

One of the great themes of the Bible is the war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan which began in heaven.

Satan and his fallen angels rebelled against God, God’s angels made war in heaven against them, overpowered them and banished them to the earth.

“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

Revelation 12:4, 7-9 NIV

What is the difference between these two kingdoms?

God’s rule is about relationships and is governed by love. In His kingdom, the governing principle is “God in the centre” and “others before self”. This makes for unity and harmony in every relationship. God’s Kingdom is unified because it governs every believer from within by His Spirit. His kingdom is about power to rule over self.

Satan’s rule is dominated by “me in the centre” and “self before others” no matter how much damage it does to relationships. Satan rules over “kingdoms” because his principle of self first operates in every system or “kingdom” that controls the world. His kingdom is about power to rule over others.

There is a close parallel between Adam’s temptation in the Garden and Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.

In the Garden, where Adam and Eve enjoyed all the benefits and blessings of life under God’s rule (they “ate the fruit” of living in the kingdom of God), Satan intruded and lured them by deception into believing that it was better to live under his rule in his kingdom.

Adam chose rebellion against God, chose to eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”…and to be part of the kingdoms of Satan where he ( Adam, thought) he could make his own rules. Of course, Satan didn’t reveal the small print in this deal. He works by deception. Once Adam had made his choice, there was no turning back. Adam became the devil’s slave and could only do what Satan demanded in his kingdom.

… and the whole human race is still eating the fruit of that choice.

So, Adam DID die, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

The prize in this war would always be people. God wanted a family of sons and daughters just like Jesus, who would live together forever under His loving rule in peace and harmony. They would manage the earth for God under His direction so that His nature of ECHAD, unity in diversity, would be reflected in the whole universe.

Fot the devil, the prize was also people, not to bless but to destroy.

Satan tried the same tactic with Jesus.

Satan actually offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship because he wanted to wrest control of the universe from God and control of all the people through deception. If Jesus accepted his offer, He would lose His title and role as Lord.

Jesus never fell for Satan’s lies for one simple reason. He had been sent by the Father to fulfil the law and to die as a law breaker so that He could reconcile fallen man to God. What was the law He came to fulfil?

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”   “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31 NIV

Put very simply, God in the centre, others above self. And Jesus lived it perfectly.

Now, let’s go back to the garden.

If my interpretation is accurate according to the whole scope of Scripture, the story in Genesis is a vividly symbolic picture of Satan’s battle to get control of what was most precious to God – man.

The tree of life represents the kingdom of God where the life of God, expressed through His love, keeps everything functioning in perfect harmony (good = functional), creating an environment for His human family to live in all the blessing He had for them.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (functional versus dysfunctional) represents Satan’s kingdom, where everyone, enslaved by selfishness and greed, does his own thing, creating chaos, ruin, and death. Satan’s plan was to gain control by enslaving the whole human race so that God’s plan of a family like Himself would come to nothing.

What would be the outcome of this war? God predicted it in the Garden.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15 NIV

His plan involved sacrificing the dearest treasure He had to offer, His Son. God literally put all His eggs in one basket to achieve His goal.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

Revelation 11:15 NIV

“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 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”

Revelation 22:1-2 NIV

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

Revelation 22:14 NIV

“And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”

Revelation 22:19 NIV

In the end, because God is God, the “tree of life” overcomes “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. Through the seed of the woman, God’s kingdom is established forever.

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Luke 1:30-33 NIV

THE MIRACLE OF GAZING

Christian life, ,

THE MIRACLE OF GAZING

Looking in my bathroom mirror these days is sometimes painful when I see the results of aging sketched on my face. The fresh beauty of youth has given way to the blotches and wrinkles of old age, heralding the time for the sowing the seed.

However, God’s mirror reveals a very different picture. No signs of aging or deterioration mar the vision of the face in the mirror. As I gaze into the mirror of God’s Word, whose face do I see?

“18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

Paraphrase…

We all, having had the veil of unbelief taken away when we turned to the Lord, see the glory of the Lord reflected in our own faces as we gaze into the mirror of the Word.

How awesome is that! In Christ, God sees us whole and complete, perfected in holiness and a pure reflection of His Son. As He works in us by His Spirit through His Word and the discipline of hardship and suffering, He sees the image of His Son over our own faces.

In this life, aware as we are of our flaws and imperfections,

“12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity….”

1 Cor 13:12a

However, although we only see dimly and partially now, as we reflect on the image of Jesus in God’s Word, the Spirit is transforming us into that image more and more (from one degree of glory to another).

I love to crochet little figures of all kins of little creatures, practising a recognised craft called amigurumi. I must follow a pattern and, as I work, I keep the finished article in view. When I make a mistake, I unpick and correct whatever does not resemble the original until my finished product is an exact likeness to my pattern.

How much greater is God’s “craft” of changing us into the image of His Son, correcting in us what does not resemble His “blueprint” until, when we see Jesus face to face, we are exact replicas of Him in His beauty and perfection.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!… 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

1 John 3:1-2 NIV

What is the blueprint God is using as the pattern for His children? Paul tells us in Romans 8:29 that God’s plan is to restore in us the likeness of His Son.

“29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Romans 8:29 NLT

Jesus, the Son, is God’s blueprint and the four characteristics of Jesus as God’s Son encapsulate the blueprint God uses to work on us.

1. Submission.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

Heb. 5:7 NIV

2. Obedience

“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.”

Hebrews 5:8 NLT

3. Trust

“46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.”

Luke 23:46 NIV

4. Love

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

John 15:10 NIV

We have a significant part to play in this transformation process. We become what we love the most, be it glory or shame. God’s complaint to Israel was that they became what they loved.

“10 When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.”

Hosea 9:10 NIV

If we truly love Jesus, we will gaze and reflect on His glory until we become more and more like Him. John warns us…

“15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

1 John 2:15-17 NIV

Instead,

…”And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…”

Heb 12:2b

because,

“18..We all who, with unveiled faces, contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Cor. 3:18 NIV

Postscript

We must also keep in mind that the face of Jesus is not only over our faces, when we look in the mirror, but also over the faces of every other believer, even those we may not like.

However, only when they look in the mirror of God’s Word and believe its truth, will they see the vision of Him who is the pattern God uses to transform them into that image.

THE MESSAGE OF THE NAIL PRINTS

Christian Life, ,

THE MESSAGE OF THE NAIL PRINTS

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:30-31

Two disciples… returning home after a weekend of tragedy and disillusionment. Back and forth they talk, airing their grief, their shattered hopes. Why, oh why did it have to end like this?

Soft footfalls behind them herald the approach of a stranger. Sensing the sombre atmosphere, the unknown man asks, “Why so sad?”

“Haven’t you heard? Are you the only one who doesn’t know what happened in Jerusalem this weekend?” they reply.

Eyes downcast, they relate events and emotions that betray their deep-seated disappointment.  “We had hoped… but now…” Like the Twelve who persisted in their unbelief despite the testimony of the women who went to the tomb, these two dejected disciples allow their grief to destroy any last vestige of hope. They know that the lifeless body of the one in whom they fervently trusted is sealed in a rocky tomb.

The stranger rebukes them. “Are you so foolish that you let grief override good sense? What does the Word say?“ This man seems to have amazing insights into the depths of Holy Scripture.

He opens the sacred writings as they listen, fascinated, to his teaching… yet they still have no idea who he is, perhaps a visitor to Jerusalem with no ties to the events of the past weekend. They still make no connection between him and the messages he is recalling from Scripture.

They invite the stranger into their home as is the custom of hospitable people. There is something familiar about him that they can’t quite figure out. Perhaps a few more hours with him…

The evening meal prepared, they gather around to share their bounty. Courtesy prompts the head of the family to invite the stranger to bless their meal.

He lifts his hands in thanksgiving and suddenly, in a flash, every detail of the past moments falls into place. His seeming ignorance of recent tragic events… his gentle rebuke… his intimate understanding of their sacred book… his hands as he spreads them out in blessing.

In a heartbeat, as understanding dawns, He’s gone! Gone from their eyes but not from their hearts. A subtle fragrance fills the room where He shared the table with them, the lingering fragrance of the Son of God.

His hands! Of course, who else but Jesus Himself! Gone the grief and unbelief! It all makes sense now. He is no upstart, self-proclaimed prophet, but truly the promised Messiah so eloquently described in their own Scriptures.

Those angry wounds so clearly visible in His upraised hands speak more clearly than the many words He uttered as He accompanied them to their home. How beautifully the nail prints symbolise the greatest love of all, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” How clearly they speak of a sacrifice so great that it forgives and restores everything Adam forfeited in the Garden of Eden.

An old but ageless hymn captures in the jewels of language the message of the nail prints:

Crown Him the Lord of love

Behold His hands and side

Rich wounds, yet visible above

In beauty glorified…

Matthew Bridges

Godfrey Thring (1851)

(en.m.wikipaedia.org)