Time with Jesus - 17 Oct 2013
What did Jesus mean when He taught
these words in His prayer? Was He merely giving us three facts about the Triune
God to baffle and amaze us? Was He merely sweeping together portions of
information regarding a deep appreciation of His Father’s love for humanity? On
the surface, this may seem to be the case. But there is a depth of meaning in
this magnificent doxology which staggers our imagination.
So what is a doxology? In Christian
religious services, a doxology is a hymn, prayer, or formula of worship in
praise of God. It would thus be fitting for Jesus to include such a tribute in
His model prayer. To help our perception, I’ve added colour to the three
attributes Jesus referred to in the doxology.
Eugene Petersen touches on what I
mean in the Message. He translates the verse as 13 Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze
in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes. Mat 6:13 MSG
For Thine
is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, Forever and ever – Amen. Immediately
below is a table in which three of the “attributes” of the Trinity are stated.
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Mat 6:13
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KJV
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For Thine is the Kingdom
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For Thine is the
Power
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For Thine is the
Glory
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MSG
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You're in charge!
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You can do anything
you want!
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You're ablaze in
beauty!
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Whose
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The Kingdom belongs to
Father
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The Holy Spirit is
the “Power of God”
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The Glory of The
Son
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Be aware that because Father Son
and Spirit are indivisible and separate, these “attributes” are not separate, but
are jointly shared. The distinction referred to is only for the purpose of
illustration.
There is little doubt that Jesus
came to announce that the Kingdom of God was among us.
On 206 occasions in the
four Gospels, Jesus refers directly to the Kingdom of God. Certainly He brought
salvation to sinners. But His primary purpose was to declare that the Kingdom
of God was extant in His presence. Bear in mind, the Kingdom of God is where
the King reigns. Jesus came to announce this so that the like of you and me
could be drawn into His Kingdom.
One of the best known statements of
Jesus in the Christianityin the Western World is: 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Mat 6:33 KJV. To seek the Kingdom of God is synonymous
with seeking Jesus. He came as His Father’s representative. He is one with the
Father so the expression, ‘”Thine is the Kingdom” acknowledges the Father’s place
in the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is often referred
to as the power of God. We see this beautifully in the Creation story in
Genesis. 1 In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth. 2 The
earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Gen
1:1-3 NLT.
Notice how the mind of the Father was expressed through the
words of the Son and brought to reality by the Holy Spirit. God was in all
three “events”. They are indivisible. Yet at the same time they are uniquely
separate. This is one of the most beautiful expressions of the Triune God
anywhere in Scripture. Every “component” unique, yet indivisible!
The Gen 1:1-3 creation account is “repeated”
in John’s Gospel. In Chapter 18 we read: 4 Jesus
fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to
meet them. "Who are you looking for?" He asked. 5 "Jesus the Nazarene," they replied. "I AM He," Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said "I AM
He," they all drew back and fell to the ground! John 18:4-6 NLT
The power behind the spoken word
of God was sufficient to cause all those who came to arrest Him, to fall to the
ground. When reading this Scripture, I get the distinct impression that if
Jesus had given any command, it would have taken place before their eyes. It
was His mercy and deep pity for humanity that Jesus gave no Divine command throughout
His arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. A word of command would have been
sufficient to “snuff them out”.
Accordingly for Jesus to state, “Thine is the
Power” He was making an indirect reference to the Holy Spirit.
Concerning the glory of the Son of
God, John in his gospel stated, 14 So
the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love
and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory,
the glory of the Father's one and only Son. John
1:14 NLT
John gave further details in his first Epistle. It must have
been very difficult for him as he commenced writing this epistle. At the very
outset he seeks to describe the glory of the Son of God. I doubt if anyone
could have expressed what he was seeking to say any better than he did. 1
We proclaim to you the One who existed from the
beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands.
He is the Word of life. 2 This One who is life itself was revealed to us, and we
have seen Him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that He is the One who is
eternal life.
He was with the Father, and then He was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen
and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1
John 1:1-3 NLT How does one describe the glory of God? John tried hard
to do so. But it’s an impossible task. Only Jesus can possibly do so. Of
course, He is the very glory of God.
As we have seen, His model prayer
teaches us to pray, just as it was intended to teach His disciples to pray. But
how could He include a reference to the members of the Trinity to Jewish
disciples and other followers of those days, in a way that would not be thought
to be religiously heretical? He could do so by referring to them obliquely and
reverently. No wonder He is God!
By way of a change, this morning’s
introduction comes from Frank S Mead’s book, “Who’s Who in the Bible”. It
presents Jesus and His mother in a refreshingly differently way that we may
well enjoy.
Shalom
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 17 Oct 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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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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THE
KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY
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For Thine is the Kingdom, the
Power and the Glory. What did Frank S Mead
say about the background of Jesus’ magnificent doxology?
Mary
of Nazareth knew the heights of joy and
the deepest vale of tears. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was Mary, mother of
joy, when she learned He was to come. She sang then the “Magnificat”.-”My
soul doth magnify the Lord. . .“ Clutching him in the Bethlehem straw, she
listened with closed eyes to the angel’s song, turned his wee face to see the
star. When she lost him that day in Jerusalem, she was afraid, lest he be
gone forever.
As
he grew she believed in him; at the wedding in Cana she bade the servants,
“Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” But afterward, on the edge of a surly
crowd, she feared for him, begged him to leave his preaching and come home to
her before they killed him. He could not come. It was the parting of the
ways.
Still
she followed, from afar, anguished, praying, hoping, but never again
interfering. At last she saw his arms stretched wide, a brutal Roman soldier
driving nails.. .Out of her night, she heard him say to John, “Behold thy
mother.”
Some
worship her, some adore. The world stands mute before her peaceful, patient
face. Mary, mother of Jesus. Mary, mother of Love.
Jesus,
son of Mary, was of her but not hers. He
was God’s, wholly. The greatest soul of time, He arrived in time’s fullness
to breathe into the corpse of a dead humanity a resurrecting, life-restoring
Spirit, giving it direction and abundance, to realize its heavenly origin and
divine destination. In his person, humanity swept up to a new high-water
mark.
He
was Teacher, putting to blush Plato and Socrates, for in him was all the
prophets’ teaching, all the truth of all religions, and more. He added a rare
finale to teaching: he lived it. He prasticed the Sermon on the Mount before
He preached it. He was Physician, causing the lame to walk in a new strength,
the strength of God; he gave mankind new ears, tuned to hear the whispering
voice of God; he struck the scales from men’s blind eyes, brought God walking
to them in their darkness, across the sweet wide meadows of hope.
He
was Master of Life, glorifying its commonplace setting every common bush
along the wayside afire with God. Master of Death, he snapped the terror of
death and made it victory, that we might never fear to die.
Men
misunderstood him and crucified him. Our world would do the same if He came
back. By
Frank S Mead - “Who’s Who in the Bible?”
Jim
& Phyllida
Strickland
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13 And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us
from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and
the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:13 NLT
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This beautiful doxology is not in many texts.
The reason why this is the case, makes many scholars vexed.
Some think these words were added, by a very ancient scribe,
Who thought that these concluding words all people should imbibe.
I’ve known them since my boyhood; and for me to exclude,
These words from Jesus’ model prayer would be unjustly rude.
They focus on the Father and magnify the King.
They speak of God’s ability, to do most anything,
They amplify His glory, which will not ever end.
So I express approval of what the Scribe has penned!
If Jesus didn’t say them, they were surely in His heart.
A tribute to our Holy God, Who has no end or start.
It is the Father’s Kingdom, where Jesus reigns as King.
An everlasting sovereignty, that He will surely bring,
To pass upon this planet, the moment He returns.
A prospect so exciting, my heart inside me burns.
A place where Satan’s presence is banished, so that he,
Can’t deceive the members of all humanity.
A time of glorious power, with Jesus on His throne,
Ruling all the nations, just by His word alone!
An everlasting Kingdom, of righteousness and peace.
Where death has been excluded and love will never cease.
The little word “forever” is appropriately apt.
And where the King’s authority, by no man can be capped.
The Father will be with us in this recreated realm,
With Jesus and His followers securely at the helm.
There’ll be no need for sunshine or moon to light the day.
For He Himself will be our light, in each and every way.
But what is most important, is Jesus will be there.
The saints from all the ages will see their answered prayer!
We will recognise Him and fall down at His feet;
Lost in rapturous, wonder and savouring as sweet,
The knowledge that it’s over. The crown of life is won.
And we will spend eternity with Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
What could be more important? What more could we desire?
Father, Son and Spirit to set our hearts on fire.
Eternity to worship, to glorify and praise
The Faithful God Whom we can love, through endless, ageless days.
Jim
Strickland
Written
17th Oct 2012
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1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the
LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is
established; it shall never be moved. 2 Your
throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
Psalms 93:1-2 ESV
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3 The LORD is slow to
anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his
feet.
Nahum 1:3 TNIV
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31 What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 GW
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17 We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive.
He will save us from your powerful hand.
Daniel 3:17 NIrV
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29 My Father, who has
given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my
Father's hand.
John 10:29 TNIV
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4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome
them, for he who is in you is greater than he who
is in the world.
1 John 4:4 ESV
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1 Not to us, O LORD, not
to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast
love and your faithfulness!
Psalms 115:1 ESV
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11 Yours, O LORD, is the
greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in
the heavens and on earth is Yours, O LORD, and this is Your kingdom. We adore
You as the One who is over all things. 13 "O our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name!
14 But who am I, and who are my people,
that we could give anything to You? Everything we have is from You, and we
give You only what You first gave us!
1 Chronicles 29:11, 13-14 NLT
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