“Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!” Mark 4:41
THERE IS A TENDENCY TO DEMEAN OURSELVES BEFORE GOD, AS THOUGH GOD WILL BE PLEASED WITH US IF WE BELITTLE OURSELVES AS WE EXAULT HIM. THAT IS WHAT JOB’S RELIGIOUS FRIENDS DID, AND GOD WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THEIR WORDS.
THE APOSTLE PAUL STATES THAT ALL HAVE SINNED, BUT HE ADDS THAT WE “FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.” THAT LAST STATEMENT SAYS A LOT. IF ONE FALLS SHORT OF SOMETHING, THERE IS THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION THAT WE ARE MADE TO BE THAT OF WHICH WE FALL SHORT.
YEARS AGO WHEN I WORKED AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN SYRACUSE NY, I WAS TRYING TO TELL A MUSLIM GIRL WHAT GOD HAS DESTINED US FOR. HER RESPONSE WAS THAT WE ARE AS NOTHING TO GOD, HE IS SO FAR ABOVE US, “ALLAH AKBAR,” GOD IS GREAT.
JESUS’ DEATH SENTENCE WAS REALLY SEALED BY HIS ANSWER TO THE HIGH PRIEST’S QUESTION, “ARE YOU THE SON OF GOD.” JESUS’ ANSWER WAS, “YOU WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” NOTICE THAT HE CALLS HIMSELF THE SON OF MAN. Matthew 26:62-66
ANYONE WHO BELIEVES THE BIBLE KNOWS THAT GOD’S ORIGINAL PURPOSE IN CREATION IS TO MAKE US IN HIS OWN IMAGE AND AFTER HIS OWN LIKENESS. ADAM WAS THE CROWN OF GOD’S CREATION. IT WAS ONLY AFTER CREATING MAN THAT GOD RESTED.
THE FACT THAT WE FALL SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY DID NOT DISCOURAGE GOD. GOD KNOWS THAT WE FALL SHORT BECAUSE WE NEED LIFE. GOD CANNOT CREATE HIS OWN LIFE. HE MUST GIVE IT, AND THAT IS WHAT HE DID IN THE INCARNATION. “THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND TOOK UP RESIDENCE AMONG US. WE SAW HIS GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE ONE AND ONLY.” John 1:14
WHAT SORT OF A MAN IS THIS, ASKED JESUS’ DISCIPLES WHEN THEY SAW HIM COMMAND THE WIND AND STILL THE SEA. THAT IS THE QUESTION WE ALL MUST ANSWER. IS HE GOD IN DISGUISE? NEVER. JESUS WAS A TRUE MAN, YET WITHOUT SIN. IN THE INCARNATION GOD BECAME WHAT HE CAUSED TO BECOME. HE UNITED HIS HOLY ETERNAL LIFE WITH THE HUMAN LIFE HE HAD CREATED. THE BABY BORN IN BETHLEHEM THAT NIGHT WAS THE FIRST COMPLETE HOLY HUMAN BEING EVER TO BE BORN. “HE IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION.” Colossians1:15 JESUS IS GOD IN FLESH.
WHEN GOD DESIGNED ADAM, HE DID SO WITH HIMSELF IN MIND. “IN HIM ALL THE FULLNESS OF DEITY LIVES IN BODILY FORM.” Colossians 2:9 IS HUMAN FLESH THAT SIGNIFICANT AND WONDERFUL? ASK GOD WHO CREATED IT. DOES ALMIGHTY GOD NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING! ADAM FAILED THE TEST, AND EVERY HUMAN BEING AFTER HIM HAS FAILED – UNTIL GOD SUDDENLY CAME TO HIS TEMPLE. Malachi 3:1
THERE WERE WITNESSES AT JESUS’ TRIAL WHO TESTIFIED THAT JESUS HAD SAID OF THE EXQUISITE TEMPLE STANDING IN JERUSALEM, “DESTROY THIS TEMPLE AND IN THREE DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP.” HE WAS SPEAKING PROPHETICALLY OF THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY. “HEAVEN IS MY THRONE AND THE EARTH IS MY FOOTSTOOL. WHERE THEN IS THE HOUSE YOU WILL BUILD FOR ME? WHERE IS THE PLACE WHERE I WILL REST?” Isaiah 66:1 AFTER GOD CREATED ADAM, HE RESTED. IN THAT BODY OF ADAM WAS THE PROMISE OF GOD’S TRUE TEMPLE, THE PROMISE OF A HUMAN EXPRESSION OF GOD’S BEING.
WHAT SORT OF A MAN IS THIS? A TRUE MAN, A HOLY MAN, A MAN IN WHOM DWELLS ALL OF THE FULLNESS OF GOD.
WE THEN MAY ASK, WHAT RELEVANCE IS HE TO ME? HEAR JESUS’ WORDS, “IF ANYONE LOVES ME, HE WILL OBEY MY WORD, AND MY FATHER WILL LOVE HIM AND WE WILL COME TO HIM AND TAKE UP RESIDENCE WITH HIM.” John 14:23 JESUS REFUSED TO LEAVE US, EVEN WHEN IT MEANT THAT HE MUST DIE FOR US.
WHEN JESUS ANSWERED THE HIGH PRIEST, HE SPOKE OF HIMSELF AS THE SON OF MAN. WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE DID SO AS A GLORIFIED MAN. NOW THERE IS A MAN WHO DOES NOT FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. NOW THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, HE SAYS TO US, “HE WHO HEARS MY WORD, AND BELIEVES HIM WHO SENT ME, HAS ETERNAL LIFE, AND DOES NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, BUT HAS PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE.” John 5:24
Rosemary E Hyslop October 14, 2020