30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 23 26-43 THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS Christmas 1
📖 Luke 23:26-43
Thu23Dec2021 - God revealed Himself - Christmas 1 – Bible reading: I John 1:1-3
“Lord Jesus, we thank You that You came into time and space to reveal Yourself to us. You came so that we could have the fullness of life in You. We do not have words, sufficient enough, to thank You for all that You have done and continue to do in our lives. We give You all the glory and praise and in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Friends, we will take a short pause from our study of the Gospel of Luke and for the next three days, till the 25th of December, we will have three studies related to the Lord’s first coming. We will return to our study of the Gospel of Luke from the 26th.
We will reflect today that Jesus was born to reveal God to us. Tomorrow, we will consider how Jesus was born to die on the cross, be buried and rise again. On the 25th we will study the matter that Jesus was born to reign.
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God.
The words that we speak reveal who we are. We express ourselves through words. If our words are truthful or not or if our words are idle, hurting and foolish, then our words reveal who we are as a person.
Our words, in fact, will either justify or find us guilty before God.
Matthew 12:35-37 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (36) But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. (37) For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
James concludes his teaching about the use of the tongue, with the following understanding.
James 3:11-12 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? (12) Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Jesus was the Word in this understanding that He was the full revelation of God.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The more we delve deeper into the life of Jesus the more we draw closer to God Himself. When we receive Jesus into our lives and have an ongoing engagement with Him, we become more and more aligned to the character of God.
Jesus was born into a Jewish context.
Romans 9:5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
As Jesus lived in this context, He revealed God, in an ongoing manner. Those who had an intimate fellowship with Jesus were blessed to know God in flesh.
John 14:9-11 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. (11) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
Jesus was passionately making Philip know that He was the revelation of God.
John writes that he and the other disiples had the joy of knowing Jesus, to taste life. It was this deep intimate relationship with Jesus that John wanted his audience too, to come into.
I John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— (2) the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— (3) that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
What is the body of Christ? The body of Christ are those who are in an intimate, deep, ongoing relationship with Jesus, individually and they share this experience with one another, in order that together, all grow into His nature.
II Corinthians 4:4-6 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
The devil will work hard to prevent us from having the ongoing encounter with Jesus both as individuals as well as a body.
(5) For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. (6) For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was born to reveal God to us.
If a person does not realise and accept Jesus to have an intimate, surrendered relationship with Him, then that person does not belong to Christ and that person becomes part of the Antichrist.
I John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, (3) and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
May the Lord enable us to understand why Jesus was born into the world.
Thought to ponder
Are you encountering Jesus transforming you from deep within your heart?