Time with Jesus - Thursday, 13 June
2013
Hi all,
Our meditation today focuses on
the fact that Jesus is “Son of Man” and “Son of God”. We know Jesus took the
name God gave Ezekiel and used it for Himself. i.e. He called Himself Son of
Man. It was not particularly offensive to anyone. However, it was more appropriate
than the people of those days appreciated.
Son of Man established Himself
as human. He knew, many people would say that He was Divine. He was indeed
divine; but for His mission on this planet, it was essential that He be fully
human. Why?
His objective was to defeat
Satan and recover all that Adam had lost by his disobedience. Adam had been
100% human when he sinned. He thereby handed creation over to Satan, “on a
platter”, as it were. Victory was only achievable by a similar person who was
sin-free. Paul refers to the First Adam and to Jesus Christ, as the Second
Adam. This was not just semantics. The downfall of Satan required the services
of a sin-free, homo-sapiens male. Not a female. It was Adam who sinned. Eve was
his helpmeet, not his head. He carried the responsibility for sin. She did not.
Thus, the Saviour had to be male and not female.
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| Adam Had the Responsibility Eve was Deceived |
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| Jesus had to be Born |
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| 100% God & 100% Man |
If Jesus Christ was God, he
could redeem many more. It’s a question of “values”. God created this world and
everything in it. Now the “Creator” or “maker” of anything is always “worth”
more than what He has made. It follows, God is “worth” an infinite number of
people! Thus by dying for one person, He died for all!
Be aware, His sacrificial death
is all inclusive. In other words, His death on that cross is universally
effective for homo-sapiens, Why are not all “saved”? Paul explains this in
Romans: 21 But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe: for
there is no difference: 23 For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Rom 3:21-23 KJV
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| Potentially We are All Saved |
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| We are His Children By Adoption |
Shalom,
Jim &
Phyllida Strickland
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Thursday, 13 June 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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These devotionals are the intellectual property of
Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and
distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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SON
OF GOD AND SON OF MAN
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“Who’s
who in the zoo?” I think we are all familiar with the tale about the
self-opinionated man who rushed to the front of the queue and demanded
immediate service. When the receptionist tried to proceed with her duty in
spite of this irritating man, he interrupted her. “Do you know who I am?” he
thundered at her. Without batting an eye she picked up the public address
system microphone; at maximum volume said?” Is there any one here who has
lost a passenger? There’s a man here who doesn’t know who he is. Then she
politely continued with her work. What a “put down” Well deserved, with just
a tinge of reproof.
This
raises the question, “what do you do as a Christian when confronted with such
behaviour. Some would like to deal with the man with a sawn off shot gun.
They have my sympathy. Others would go into “poor me” behaviour. They would
allow themselves to be intimidated and go along with the bully. They think it
is Christian to allow others to beat them up. That isn’t true either. A
Christian should never be a bully or a wimp. Jesus was neither. He responded
to everyone with love.
At
the same time, He was not afraid to call a spade a spade. He said to the
Scribes and Pharisees, 33 You
serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
Matthew 23:33 ESV Obviously Jesus had not
read, “How to Make Friends and Influence People”
On
the other hand His dealing with the woman taken in adultery recorded in John
Chapter 8 shows that He was kind and loving, even to sinners! His dealings
with the man born blind, reveals more about intolerance and religious
attitudes. It is suggested that the blind man had nothing in his eye sockets.
Of course this cannot be verified. But Jesus’ actions speak of a creative
miracle similar to the creation of Adam. The sightless man stood in front of
Him. Then Jesus, mixing the very breath of God along with spittle for water,
formed eyes for the man out of mud. He then placed the Mud/eyes into the
man’s eye sockets and positioned them correctly. The Mud would dry very
quickly in that climate.
Then
came the one act of obedience required to complete the miracle. “Go and wash
in the pool of Siloam”. The man did. How he got there we do not know. What he
said about his mud filled eye sockets is not stated. What we do know is that
when he washed, immediately he could see. Read the story without religious
blinkers. It reads a bit like the first act of creation. “Light be!” said the
Lord and it was so. “Eyes see!” is the unstated instruction based on the
man’s faith in what Jesus said. How did the man feel at that moment? It would
be pure guesswork on my part. What is it we see when first we see? The
feelings stated by the man are probably “Once I was Blind and now I see”.
That says it all!
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
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35 When
Jesus heard what had happened, He found the man and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man? " 36
The man answered, "Who is He, sir? I want to
believe in Him."
John 9:35-36 NLT
3 The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of
God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When
He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honour at the
right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
Hebrews 1:3 NLT
15 For
at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all
kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He
alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can
approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honour and
power to him forever! Amen.
1 Timothy 6:15-16 NLT
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and
the end," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, who always was,
and who is still to come--the Almighty One."
Revelation 1:8 NLT
38
"Yes, Lord, I believe!" the man
said. And he worshiped Jesus.
John 9:38 NLT
12 That
is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He
is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return.
2 Timothy 1:12 NLT
6 As
the Scriptures say, "I am placing a
cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honour, and anyone who trusts in
Him will never be disgraced." 7 Yes, you who trust Him recognize the honour God has
given Him. But for those who reject Him, "The stone that the
builders rejected has now become the cornerstone."
1 Peter 2:6-7 NLT
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The Son of Man; The Son of God, were
actually the same.
And this was so much more than just
some silly little game.
The name comes from Ezekiel; God
called him “Son of Man”
And Jesus Christ adopted it. Part of
His greater plan.
All through the generations it didn’t
give offence.
So Jesus used it as His name. It made
a lot of sense.
If Jesus had revealed Himself, before
the time was right,
It seems fairly conclusive. He’d end
up in a fight.
So all throughout the Gospels, the “Son
of Man” was used.
It made all His opponents, a little
bit confused.
But there is one occasion, He made it
very plain.
The man who was born blind, had told
the Pharisees in vain;
That somebody had healed him. He
couldn’t tell them Who.
He’d smeared some mud upon my eyes and
told me what to do.
“Go off to Siloam and wash the mud
away”.
And after he had done it, he could see
as plain as day!
The Pharisees were furious. They liked
it not one bit.
“Who could work such miracles with
only clay and spit?”
He answered to the Pharisees, who’d
asked, “Who’d done the deed?”
He couldn’t give an answer which
satisfied their creed.
It’s only when they threw him out, he
came across the man,
Who’d given him his eyesight and the
miracle began.
“The Son of God has healed you.” Is
what the Master said.
“Who is He Sir?” the “blind man asked,
“To whom must I be led?”
That’s when Jesus stated, The Son of
God is Me.
I performed a miracle. That’s why you
now can see!
The “blind man” bowed in worship. He
didn’t tell Him nay!
Jesus told it plainly, upon that very
day.
For He is Supernatural. In fact He is
the Lord.
Worthy to be worshipped, .exalted and
adored.
Here is the example to which we all
can look.
Spelled out very clearly in Father’s
Holy Book.
You don’t have to believe it. You’re
well within your rights,
To say it is impossible within your
mortal sight.
Please don’t think I’m threatening. I
haven’t got a gun.
It isn’t me Who’ll come and ask, “Why
ever not My son?”
You don’t have to explain yourself to
anyone like me.
But when it comes from Jesus Christ,
what will your answer be?
Jim Strickland
Written 13th
June 2012
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