Tag Archives: heaven and earth

JESUS SAID – 1

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Jesus said and did many things that puzzle us…until we understand them in the wider context of His role as a Jewish rabbi. He was trained in the Tanach, and was not only thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures but was also Himself the Word of God in human form.

John 1:14 NIV
[14] “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Who, but Jesus would know and fully understand what the Scriptures meant and what God intended by what was written. His every thought and action were the expressions of the written Word. His clash with His arch enemy, the devil, for example, and His victory over him, rested on these three words, “It is written.”

Matthew 4:4 NIV
[4] Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Let’s examine some of His words and deeds and try, through them, to get to the heart of what He and the Scriptures meant.

L Iet’s consider His relationship to the Father. In John’s presentation of Jesus as the Son of God, he records Jesus’ claim to be both the Son of God and the Son of Man, God and Messiah. These claims would be outrageous if they were not true.

As the Son of God, Jesus linked Himself with David’s prophetic word in Psalm 2.

Psalms 2:7 NIV
[7] “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

Hebrews 1:5 NIV
[5] For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

This statement has nothing to do with human procreation but rather the expression of relationship. In ancient Hebrew, the word “son”, meant “one who continued the house”, that is, one who perpetuated the life, character, and standards of that household in the next generation.

Hebrews 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. [6] But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

A son had a specific role in a Hebrew household. The eldest son stood in the place of and represented the father in all family matters. He took responsibility for all his “second born” siblings’ actions, hence Reuben’s attempt, as Jacob’s eldest son, to rescue Joseph from the pit into which his brothers had thrown him because he would be held accountable.

Genesis 37:21-22 NIV
[21] “When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. [22] “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.”

A firstborn son’s role was to submit to and obey his father and to learn the father’s trade so that he would carry on the father’s business in the next generation. For example, Jesus found James and John working with their father, Zebedee in the fishing business.

Now let’s examine Jesus’ words…

Matthew 5:17-18 NIV
[17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

As God’s Son, Jesus was committed to absolute obedience to every detail of God’s covenant with Israel, not only in letter but in spirit. When Jesus said that He came to “fulfill” the law, He meant that He would complete God’s instructions by obeying the law perfectly according to God’s intention, including His attitude and motive.

His perfect interpretation of and obedience to the law clashed with the religious leaders’ interpretation and brought their wrath down on Him because He exposed their hypocrisy. They claimed to be righteous because they obeyed every commandment to the letter but…the pride of their own self-righteousness obliterated all their claims.

Matthew 23:23-24 NIV
[23] “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. [24] You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Jesus obeyed God’s law to the letter, not because of pride but because He loved the Father! His passion was to do the Father’s will. As David prophesied,

Psalms 40:6-8 NIV
[6]”Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [7] Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

Jesus also claimed to be the Son of Man. What did He mean? Was this only a reference to His humanity or did He mean something more?

Daniel 7:13-14 NIV
[13] “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In Daniel’s vision, he saw a human figure approaching God and acting as someone much more than just a man. He was receiving the rewards that imply deity…authority, glory, and sovereign power, the worship of all nations, and an eternal kingdom. These descriptions fit only one person, Jesus, God’s Messiah.

Jesus’ death on the cross as a blasphemer was a travesty of justice because His accusers ignored the evidence. They condemned Him because He did not meet their standards rather than the standards of God’s law. Although they had no answer to His question,

John 8:46 NIV
[46] “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

… the Sanhedrin still condemned Him to death for answering the high priest’s question …

Mark 14:61-62 NIV
[61]… “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” [62] “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

What an indictment against Himself! Son of God, Son of Man! Jesus deliberately and clearly stated both claims so that His resurrection would vindicate Him. The very purpose for His coming! He was saying, in His reply, “I am both God’s Son, and God’s Messiah,” in perfect fulfilment of God’s Word… and for that they killed Him.

Was He “guilty” of the claim He made? What was the final proof of His “guilt”?

Romans 1:4 NIV
[4] “… and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We can conclude, then, that Jesus’ claim to fulfill the law was both accurate and accomplished. He was crucified as a blasphemer and law-breaker, but the Father raised Him from the dead, vindicating Him as Son of God and Son of Man because He spoke the truth. Nothing He ever said or did contradicted His intention…

17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Acts 2:23-24 NIV
[23] “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. [24] But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Jesus died as a sinner but death could not hold Him. He has the right to accredt His own righteousness to everyone who believes in Him.

THE LADDER… 5

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John 1:51 NLT‬
[51] “Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

Jesus said some startling things about Himself that puzzle us until we examine the Scriptures.

Let’s start at the beginning.

On his flight from his brother’s wrath, Jacob had a dream. He saw a ladder stretching between heaven and earth. Heavenly beings were ascending and descending the ladder and God Himself was at the top, speaking to Jacob.

‭Genesis 28:10-13 NLT‬
[10] “Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. [11] At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. [12] As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. [13] At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.”

What God promised Jacob formed part of Israel’s long history that took them right to this point where Jesus described Himself as the link between heaven and earth. What Jacob saw as a ladder was a symbol of Jesus, the way to the Father, bringing heaven and earth into direct contact.

Jesus’ three-and-a-half years with His disciples would gradually explain and unfold this plan to them.

At His trial before the Sanhedrin, the high priest, Caiaphas, was incensed because Jesus claimed the title “Son of Man”, the title He used to describe Himself as the stairway between heaven and earth.

‭Mark 14:61-62 NLT‬
[61] “But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” [62] Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

God’s great plan of salvation centred on this grand finale.

‭Revelation 21:1-7 NLT‬
[1] “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. [2] And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

[5] And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” [6] And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. [7] All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”

This is the climax and conclusion of all God’s dealings with people from the beginning. His plan was to have a family of people, replicas of His Son, who would be with Him forever, ruling and reigning with Him on earth. Heaven and earth would merge to be the eternal home of God and His people.

Sin’s interruption of the plan was no deterrent to the Trinity. It gave opportunity for God to reveal His mercy to undeserving sinners and His grace to take them through a dangerous and hostile world to His home in heaven. There they would await the day when the Son will set up His kingdom on earth and take His rightful place as Lord of all.

The Son of Man is the ladder that joins heaven and earth to make them one and to fulfil God’s design to live with His people forever.

‭Revelation 21:2-3 NIV‬
[2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – THE INDESTRUCTIBLE WORD OF GOD

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THE INDESTRUCTIBLE WORD OF GOD

“‘The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve before a single letter of God’s Law wears out.

Using the legalities of divorce as a cover for lust is adultery; using the legalities of marriage as a cover for lust is adultery.'” Luke 16:17-18.

This seems like an odd combination of ideas, the eternal nature of God’s word and a warning against using legal ways as an excuse for adultery. But there is never anything random about Jesus’ thinking. He always came from the perspective of God and His ways rather than the natural, human way of thinking.

The concept of adultery has far wider implications than simply breaking a marriage relationship. It is a violation of the essence and nature of God Himself and the power that holds the universe together.

According to the Shema – the Hebrew confession of faith – “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV), which an Israelite would recite more than once every day, God is one (echad – in Hebrew), not in uniformity but unity in diversity. Those who deny the Trinity or reject the deity of Jesus or the personality of the Holy Spirit have not grasped the significance of this unity. God is three persons, separate, but in essence and nature, perfectly one.

This oneness is reflected in the universe. Everything in the universe is interactive and interdependent. Everything on earth functions as one; man is a unit – every system in his body functions as one and when one system malfunctions, the whole body is affected.

God created a man and a woman and brought them together in marriage to function as one as a perfect reflection of His being. So, according the Genesis 2:24, marriage is primarily to be a visual aid of the unity of the Godhead. “For this reason (that the woman was fashioned from the body of the man), a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” The purpose of marriage is not primarily for companionship, procreation or legalised sex but to express the unity of God. 

Is it any wonder, then, that Satan targets marriage and the family as his most potent expression of hatred against God? Our so-called sexual ‘freedom’ has done more damage to the fabric of society than any other deviation from the ways of God because it has caused the whole of society to unravel.

Adultery is not just the disruption of a marriage partnership. It is a denial of the nature of God and attack on society as a whole and every human being in particular. The consequences of adultery are not only individual, they are universal.

Since God’s word is the manifestation of Himself in another form, it cannot be destroyed. It is as eternal as He is. His word is not broken – those who reject or disregard His word are broken by it and whatever is broken will land up in the trash.

Jesus warns that we must not think that we can get away with lust by disguising it under a legal divorce or even a legal marriage. Using divorce as a way of getting free to marry someone else does not fool God and neither does legal marriage as a cover-up for lust. These are the ways in which the selfishness that breaks ‘echad’ can be expressed. The only legitimate motivation for marriage is the sincere purpose of becoming one as a true, though imperfect, expression of God’s echad-ness.

Here is the Apostle Paul’s take on marriage. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy…and to present her to Himself as a radiant church…In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies…’For this reason a man must leave his mother and father and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and His church.” Ephesians 5:22-32 (NIV).

God’s word on marriage does not change because society has decided otherwise. Unity inside a monogamous union is the only way in which marriage can flourish because tha’t the way God planned it and that’s what He said.