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Jesus' qualifications are not only his perfect knowledge of
us, knowledge of our condition, knowledge of our need, knowledge
of our destiny. What he knows is wonderful. But that is not enough.
Would you appreciate the presence of a physician who came to your
house and told you had a fatal disease and then said he couldn't
do anything about your condition? All the knowledge in the world
would mean nothing if Christ did not have the power to bring about
the desired results--the "cure." Knowing that Jesus possessed
all the knowledge in the world would be of little comfort if Jesus
did not have the power to deliver us, to rescue from the condition
he knows we are in. The file on Jesus Christ shows that he not
only had the knowledge as described in these verses above, but
that he also had the power.
The file on Jesus indicates that Jesus'
power and accomplishment is not limited to fixing a pipe, injecting
a temporary pain killer or erecting a hospital which will become
old and decayed in a few years, etc The file contains many
descriptions of his activity which demonstrate that Jesus' power
and accomplishment is not limited to making temporary repairs
to a world which is passing away. How enormous is his power! The
Bible says the universe was made by and for him--"For
by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is
before all things, and in him all things hold together."
(Colossians 1:16-17) In another place we
are told, "the Son is the radiance
of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining
all things by his powerful word..." (Hebrews
1:3)
There is no one greater or more qualified than he. All authority
was given to him: "Then Jesus came
to [his disciples] and said, 'All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'"(Mat 28.18) In another place in the file we
are told: "God was pleased to have
all his fulness dwell in him and
through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things
on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)
What does the file on Jesus--the Bible--tell us about Jesus'
qualifications to deal with every force in the universe that is
against us? It states not only that he has the power to accomplish
this but it also states that he has accomplished their defeat.
Jesus said to his disciples: "I have
told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world." (John 16:33) "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you
that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass."
(Isaiah 51:12) "And
having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle
of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:15) It says Jesus
Christ "has gone into heaven
and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers
in submission to him. (1 Peter 3:22)
"Since the children have flesh and
blood, he [Jesus Christ] too shared
in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who
holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- (Hebrews
2:14) "The reason the Son of
God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." (1 John 3:8) Jesus said, "My
Father, who has given them [my sheep] to
me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's
hand." (John 10:29)
Jesus knows that the opposition believers face is real. But he also knows that his power is greater. (1 John 4:4)
His power to protect me (and every other believer) is not here today and gone tomorrow. It is not rendered irrelevant or terminated when my body decays or disintegrates or when Jesus "gets too old." Jesus' protection is permanent. The apostle Paul declares the confidence that the believer must have:: " I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12) The apostle instructs believers about God's ability to preserve them: The file speaks of the risen Lord "who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:21) His power to protect his own extends to the control of experiences every Christian faces: temptation. It is his purpose that I should never be tried or tempted beyond my capacity. The file states very clearly: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
"To him who is able to keep you
from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without
fault and with great joy" (Jude 24)
Jesus is not like a lawyer who sticks by you until your funds
run out or until he himself is overcome by death. "Therefore he is able to save completely those
who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede
for them." (Hebrews 7:25) The
apostle John writes: "My dear children,
I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does
sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-- Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One."(1 John
2:1) The apostle Paul puts the rhetorical question--"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--
more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand
of God and is also interceding for us." (Romans
8:34) And the defense our advocate presents on our behalf
is irrefutable: the infinitely valuable shed
blood of the sinless Son of God.
What does his file tell us about the status of the task which
Jesus was sent to do for us--for me? Am I secure if I am covered
by Christ's righteousness? "There is
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 8:1) "I
tell you the truth," Jesus said, "whoever
hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and
will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
(John 5:24) The file of Jesus' qualifications
and accomplishments says he has perfected us; has done a complete
job. "We have been made holy through
the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all....By one
sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made
holy." (Hebrews 10:10, 14).
This does not mean that every thought, motive and overt act of
any believer has become absolutely pure and holy. Every believer
(including the apostle Paul-- Philippians 3:12)
knows from personal experience that this is not so--yet. If we
asserted we were sinless like the Son of God we would be denying
what God says about the purity of believers' conduct on earth
(1 John 1:8). In this world in our unredeemed
bodies the struggle with sin never ceases (Galatians
5:17). What this phrase 'made perfect forever' means is
that the ransom has been paid; it means that the blood of the
sinless Son of God has paid our penalty so that God will no longer
hold believers' sins against them (Romans
4:7-8). "But now he has reconciled
you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy
in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."
(Colossians 1:22)
The scope of his purposes and powers
is cosmic. And all his works are not in the past: "Behold, I will create new heavens and a
new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will
they come to mind." (Isaiah 65:17)
In the last book of the New Testament the apostle John records
the vision he saw: "Then I saw a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1)
Not only are His purposes and powers cosmic in scope but they
are not limited to the physical structure of the universe. The
file says: "He will wipe every
tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
(Revelation 21:4) There will come a time
when "the wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion
and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."
(Isaiah 11:6)
What does the Jesus File say about his qualifications? There is nobody or no thing that is greater than God and his Son--Jesus the Christ. "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no-one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him....For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself." (John 5:21-23,26)
"In him [that is, Christ]
we were also chosen, having been predestined
according to the plan of him who works out everything
in conformity with the purpose of his will."
(Ephesians 1:11) "We
know," says the apostle, "that
in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who
have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
Is it any wonder that the apostle Paul could not say enough
about the supreme value and the incredible privilege of knowing
Jesus? (*See below) Is it any wonder he spent his life after his
conversion saying, "For to me, to live
is Christ and to die is gain... what shall I choose? I do not
know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with
Christ, which is better by far." (Philippians
1:21-23)
But there is more. And this is best of all.
Jesus not only had the knowledge of what I needed more than
anything else, he not only had the power to secure for me what
I needed more than anything else, he had something else even more
valuable...
"How great is the love the Father
has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!" (1 John
3:1)
Jesus not only had the perfect knowledge of us and our condition,
he not only had the power to "cure" us, he also had
the desire to "cure" us. What did Jesus Christ do when
he came? He "gave himself for our sins
to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will
of our God and Father." (Galatians 1.4)
And again, "he has rescued us
from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom
of the Son he loves." (Colossians
1:12) And again, it was "the
Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians
1:13) In another section of Jesus' file we are informed:
"Christ died for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was
put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit"
(1 Peter 3:18) How deep is God's care for
us is stated so clearly in many parts of the file: "God made him [his sinless Son]
who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God."(2 Corinthians
5:21) "Because of his great
love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have
been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Such demonstrations of his favor toward us are beyond compare.
But what "makes" those demonstrations of his favor even
more awesome and unbelievable is the fact that Jesus' coming to
rescue us, to deliver us, to transfer us was the fulfillment of
the purpose which God had for us from the beginning. Christ did
not come (like the paramedic or fireman) in response to my plea;
it was his purpose to come and to save before I ever was, before
I knew he even existed, before I ever knew I was lost and was
in desperate need of God's mercy. Jesus' coming, Jesus' rescue operation--which
included the bestowal of the inheritance was all part of God's
original plan.
The shedding of Christ's blood on the Cross was part of God's
original purpose and plan for me (and for every believer) "But we ought always to thank God for you,
brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose
you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and
through belief in the truth." (2 Thessalonians
2:13); He "has saved us and
called us to a holy life-- not because of anything we have done
but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given
us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time."
(2 Timothy 1:9) "Then
the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed
by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for
you since the creation of the world." (Matthew
25:34) That is what is dependable. It is the accomplishment
of the purposes of God which he has had from the beginning that
is what is dependable. "He chose us
in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless
in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will....In
him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to
the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the
purpose of his will." (Ephesians 1:4-5,11)
It is his purpose, his desire to always be with me; to never
forsake me. The Bible says so. (Deuteronomy
4:31; Joshua 1:5; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5) But
it is not just the fact that he is 'there' that is comforting.
A fireman could be 'there'-- just watching my house burn. A lifeguard
could be 'there' and just watching me drown because he just didn't
want to do anything about it or because he couldn't do anything
about it. What is comforting to know about Christ is that it is--and
always has been--his desire to be always with me and to see
that no harm comes to me. "This
is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed
you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have
summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the
waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." (Isaiah
43:1-2)
Jesus' care for me (and for every believer) is not like that
of the person whose job it is to care for me like a nurse or a
doctor. Jesus' own words describing this contrast are recorded
in the file. He said, "I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns 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. The man runs
away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down
my life for the sheep." (John 10:11-15) Knowing what he does about us
could the magnitude of Jesus interest in, or care for, his "sheep"
be any greater than it is?
Jesus told his disciples this truth: "Are not five sparrows
sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be
afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke
12:6-7) And again, "Do not be
afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give
you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)
Because the apostle Paul knew of God's power and desire to use
his power this way he communicated this fact to the believers
at Philippi, saying, he was "confident
of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry
it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 1:6) In another place in the
file on Jesus the apostle told believers in Corinth: "He
will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be
blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:8) Speaking about himself as
a believer he said,"The Lord will
rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his
heavenly kingdom." (2 Timothy 4:18)
It is not just a possibility that the verses speak of but of the
will or purpose of God to protect his own. In another place in
the file we read the apostle Peter's declaration about God's protection
or preservation of believers "who through
faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:5) Jesus' last words to his disciples
after his resurrection were these words of promise: "And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
(Matthew 28:20)
How good it is know God is concerned to watch over us and to
keep us! What comfort, what peace believers can have because they
know in whose "arms" they are, in whose love and protection,
they have been placed by the Almighty God. It is not possible
to think that the almighty God who is holy, who sacrificed his
Son would permit that sacrifice on the cross not to accomplish
the purpose for which it was made. Of course he is desirous of
bringing those for whom Christ died to glory --and he has the power
to bring about that purpose for them. The
plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart
through all generations." (Psalm
33:11) "The LORD does whatever
pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and
all their depths." (Psalm
135:6) "All the peoples of the
earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the
powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No-one can hold
back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
(Daniel 4:35)
"I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will
stand, and I will do all that I please."
(Isaiah 46:10) And
what does he please? "Those God foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those
he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified;
those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) "For
the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected for ever..." (Psalm 37:28) Jesus said, "I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can
snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28) "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave
him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously
give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)
What an incredible display of deep feeling God has shown for
us: "For what the law was powerless
to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin
offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man."
(Romans 8:3) It was not for individuals
who were a little bit worthy or for individuals who were a little
bit better than other persons that Jesus voluntarily laid down
his life but for persons who were arrogant sinners. In separate
places in the file we are told about the wretched character and
condition of those that God chose to show mercy to: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
(Romans 5:8); we "were alienated from God and were enemies in
[our] minds because of [our] evil behavior. But now he has reconciled
[us] by Christ's physical body through death..."
(Colossians 1:21-22). "Like the rest [of humanity], we
were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love
for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions." (Ephesians 2:3-5)
The matchless value of the inheritance that God has bestowed
on us who were formerly God-haters is beyond description. "God raised us up with Christ and seated
us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus."
(Ephesians 2:6) As Jesus
told his disciples, "In my Father's
house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2, KJV) "How great is your goodness, which you have stored
up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you." (Psalm 31:19) "It
is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has
conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
(1 Corinthians 2:9) "We know," the apostle says, "that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose....What,
then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who
can be against us?" (Romans
8:28,31)
God's love, Jesus' love is invincible: nothing
can separate me from that love "I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:38-39)
Is it any wonder that the apostle Paul could not say enough
about the supreme value and the incredible privilege of knowing
Jesus? and the even greater privilege of having been known and
chosen by Jesus? (KNOWN)
Is it any wonder that after his conversion the apostle would say,
"For to me, to live is Christ and to
die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)
In the "life and death" situations which ambulances
and emergency personnel so often remind us of, any "saving
of our lives" means no more than a temporary extension of
life in this "vale of tears." But Jesus' activity deals
with situations where my eternal life and eternal death "hang
in the balance." Jesus' "cure" bestows eternal
life--on everyone who believes in the person and work of the Son
whom God has sent. How different things are now that he
came. The fatal disease, the "cancer" is gone and will
never reoccur. "If anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
(2 Corinthians 5:17) His
"cure" is permanent. (John
10:28) "I tell you the truth,"
Jesus said, "whoever hears my word
and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
(John 5:24)
Yet am I as moved by the memory of what Christ did for me as I would
be by the memory of a successful operation that a surgeon (a finite
sinner) performed on me, an operation which did nothing more than
extend my earthly existence for a limited period of time?
May I be able to say with the apostle Paul, "Whatever
was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What
is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have
lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the
righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."
(Philippians 3:7-9)
Was Christ the right "man" for the job? Absolutely. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:20)
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