30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 23 44-49 THE DEATH OF JESUS 13 27Jan2022 Luke 23 44-45 5 great blessings for the church
📖 Luke 23:44-49
13 – 27 Jan 2022 – 5 great blessings for the church - Luke 23:44-49 - THE DEATH OF JESUS - Bible reading: Ephesians 1:18-23
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the immense blessings that You gave us from the cross. We give You all the glory and praise and in Jesus' most precious name we pray, Amen.”
We continue to meditate on the words of Jesus, when He said, “It is finished”. We are considering the blessings that have been provided for us because Jesus has finished His work on the cross.
Luke 23:44-45 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (45) Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
We have seen the three blessings that we have received because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
1. We are reconciled with God.
2. We are reconciled within ourselves. We were under the law of sin and death in our body but now in Jesus, we have been set free, within. We can now live victoriously over sin.
3. We have been reconciled with one another. We can now relate and work with one another to be God’s vice-regents over His creation.
Jesus not only settled the matter of man’s death, but He has also provided us with life. If we continue to live defeated lives, we can imagine the pain that we are causing God, who has blessed us through the death of Jesus on the cross.
We have received two more precious blessings because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
We were alienated from the rest of creation because of our sin. We were created to be the vice-regents of God, having dominion over all of God’s creation.
Sin marred us so that we began to accumulate, acquire, and aggrandize material things. We became selfish and greedy. By living this kind of life, we have done extensive damage to creation.
Creation, which was created to be under the authority of man is now in turmoil. We have pandemics, tsunamis, earthquakes, diseases and much more. All of these have come on man because of man’s sin.
In setting things right on the cross, the Lord has put back in place the primary principle of man’s responsibility to govern creation, under the authority of God.
Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Creation is groaning and waiting for the revelation of the sons of God.
Romans 8:19-22 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; (21) because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
When the fullness of man’s liberation will come, at the return of our Lord Jesus, creation too will be liberated from its present groaning. There will be a new creation.
The principles of man being reconciled with creation have been set in place because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. We are to exercise this victory right now.
The fifth great victory that has been provided for us from the cross, is our victory over the devil.
Colossians 2:14-15 having erased the charges that were brought against us, along with their obligations that were hostile to us. He took those charges away when he nailed them to the cross (15) And when he had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.
We have been given victory over the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms by Jesus on the cross. We are to go forward and exercise the victory over the evil one and live powerfully for God.
We need not be afraid of the devil, but we have the authority to enter his territories and pull down the strongholds of the enemy. We are to establish the kingdom rule of God here on earth.
Ephesians 3:9-11 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; (10) to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, (11) according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
The church is to be the body of Jesus, through whom the wonderful wisdom of God will be revealed to the rulers and authorities, in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 1:19-23 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
These are the 5 great blessings that we have received because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
4. Reconciled and made to once again govern creation, under God.
5. Bring down the strongholds of the powers of darkness and establish the kingdom rule of God.
Thought to ponder
The devil knows the authority of the church but the church seems to be unaware of who we are.