Images we can Cling to and Celebrate

     The Pharisees and Sadducees were sternly rebuked by Jesus.  The Pharisees in particular denied the deity of Christ.  For such thinking Jesus condemned them as sons of the devil.  The Bible has much to say about the deity of Christ. For Christ to be deity was absolutely necessary for God to execute His plan for man.  Specifically the Bible reveals Jesus to be the very image of the invisible God.

     “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…who being the…express image of His person…”  Hebrews 1:1-3

     The writer of Hebrews was so emphatic about this truth that he used two words in sequence that have exactly the same meaning, i.e. ‘express’ and ‘image’.  Both terms mean the perfect expression of divine essence.  Another common synonym for image is ‘likeness’.  The writer is explaining that God revealed Himself in ages past by speaking through prophets.  In the current age, however, God revealed Himself visibly in the God/Man Jesus.

     Paul in his letter to the church at Colosse likewise referred to Jesus as the perfect expression of divine essence.

     “He (the Son) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”  Colossians 1:15

     By using the term ‘firstborn’ Paul was stating that Jesus was preeminent over all creation.  He wasn’t created, He was the Creator.  He so stated that fact in the very next verse.

     “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…”  Colossians 1:16

     While Jesus was unquestionably the visible manifestation of the invisible God, He took on the form of man to accomplish God’s immutable purpose for man.

     “… (Christ Jesus) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:5-8

     Jesus relinquished His glory for a season to take on the form of a man, i.e. visible, with shape, and outward appearance.  ‘Likeness’ also means equal, alike in quality, and dignity.  In other words essentially, Jesus became a man.

     The Scriptures reveal why it was necessary for Jesus to become a man.

     “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”  Hebrews 2:17-18

     Note the phrase ‘He had to be made like His brethren’.  God required of man a standard of righteousness that natural man could not achieve beginning with Adam and Eve in the garden.

     The writer of Hebrews confirms that it was an act of grace for Jesus to take on the form of a man in order to do that which no other man could do.

     “But we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while… that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”  Hebrews 2:9

     Paul was explaining that man was not capable of obeying the law, and recall that a single transgression meant failure of the entire law.  And by the way, nothing has changed.

     “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin; He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us…”  Romans 8:3-4

     Paul was explaining that while a man, even though born again and filled with the Spirit, is still confined to a natural body which is innately prone to sin.

     A major question is why God would be so gracious to sinful man.  For that answer we need to go back to the beginning of man as described in the early chapters of Genesis.

     To be concluded next week.

    

"I am a Christian..." (conclusion)

     After Christ’s ascension to the right hand of His Father, the writers of the Epistles continued to expound on God’s power revealed in Christ, both in the present age, and that which will be exhibited in the future.  The Apostle John also spoke of the power that God would temporarily grant to Christ’s enemies in order to fulfill His plan for mankind from the foundation of the world.

     “…the exceeding greatness of His power…which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 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.”  Ephesians 1:19-21

     There is no doubt that Christ has been granted the absolute, ultimate power of God over all creation.  He will exercise that power during the final conflict between good and evil.  His power transcends earthly bounds to include all principality and power, i.e. spiritual enemies as well.

     Recall the fourth ‘horseman’ of the apocalypse as an example of God’s power temporarily given to Christ’s enemies.

     “…and behold, a pale horse.  And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him.  And power (authority) was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”  Revelation 6:8

     And that is just the fourth seal.  There would be three more along with the trumpet and bowl judgments.

     The future anti-Christ is evil personified and even he will be given power for a short time to fulfill God’s plan.

     “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months…It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to over-come them.  And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”  Revelation 13:5, 7

     Note the phrase ‘he was given’ is used several times.  Just as Jesus reminded Pilate that he would have no power at all except it was given to him from above, so it is with all power exercised by appointed world leaders.

     Many, including many Christians, have trouble dealing with the fact that God uses seemingly ‘ungodly’ methods to accomplish His purpose; however, the depth of depravity of man warrants such tactics.  One needs to look past the tribulation to justify and experience the end result which is, of course, the defeat of evil.

     As the tribulation period progresses the fourth bowl judgment is also accomplished with granted power.

     “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.  And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.”  Revelation 16:8-9

     After those to whom temporary power was given have been destroyed, the One who has the ultimate power will appear.

     “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood…Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.”  Revelation 19:13a, 15

     After Christ has completed His mission, His authority will once again be vested in the Father.

     “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power…Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 

1 Corinthians 15:24, 28

     What a future!

     The big picture tends to marginalize one of President Obama’s statements made to his Muslim audience in Cairo.  Obama’s goal was to unite the varied cultures and religions of the world.

     “We have the power to make the world we seek…The people of the world can live together in peace.  We know this is God’s vision.”

      Naive, arrogant, disengaged, misinformed, or…?

    

"I am a Christian..."

     Shortly after being elected to his first term as president, Mr. Obama addressed the Muslim nations at Cairo and spoke the title words.  Such a proclamation would lead most to think that the president’s operating manual would be his Bible.

     Many politicians from both sides of the aisle consider the presidency to be the most powerful single position in the world.  President Obama’s Bible, which has much to say about political leaders and power, might not be in full agreement with that supposition.

     This column will address the Biblical aspect of power dating from a millennium before the birth of Christ to the time of His initial earthly ministry, and the future.

     “Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth…The LORD makes poor and makes rich…The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them.  The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.”  1 Samuel 2:3a, 7, 10a

    Hannah, the mother of Samuel, spoke the above words to warn Penniah about pride and to expound on the sovereignty of God.

     Approximately five centuries later the Prophet Daniel spoke of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and the Babylonian monarch’s perception of power.  Recall Nebuchadnezzar had stated, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built…?”

      Daniel enlightened Nebuchadnezzar about the source of his assumed power.

     “   the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.”  Daniel 4:17b

     The term ‘kingdom’ in Hebrew translates into sovereign power, reign, empire, and/or dominion.  The term ‘lowest’ translates into vile and/or humble.

     Shortly thereafter Daniel himself had a dream about the future sovereign ruler of the nations.

     “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man…to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”  Daniel 7:13-14

     With these words in approximately 600 BC, Daniel spoke of the future King of Kings that would rule all nations.

    In the gospel records the topic of power was discussed and confirmed many times, mostly by Jesus Himself.

     Jesus spoke of the power of both Himself and His Father.  Speaking of His future death and resurrection, Jesus said:

     “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again…”  John 10:17-18

     So much for the argument of whether the Jews or the Romans killed Jesus.

     Shortly thereafter when Pilate was interrogating Jesus, he asked Jesus where He was from.  Jesus held his peace and gave no answer.

     “Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Are You not speaking to me?  Do You not know that I have power (authority) to crucify You, and power to release You?’  Jesus answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above…’”  John 10:10-11

     Jesus confirmed succinctly that any power displayed by any world leader must be ‘given’ from above.  The term ‘power’ from the Greek also means dominion and/or rule.

     After Jesus’ death and resurrection and just prior to His ascension, Jesus stated the extent of His power.

     “And Jesus came and spoke to them (the eleven disciples), saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’”  Matthew 28:18

     Note the extent of His power and note also that His power/authority was given to Him by His Father.

     The Greek base for ‘all’ in the above Scripture passage can be translated to the greatest, utmost, supreme, all possible, absolute authority.

     Next week we’ll consult the Epistles and the final book in the Bible to see the ultimate exercise of Christ’s power.  We’ll also examine the granting of power to God’s enemies in order to accomplish His purpose.

     We’ll conclude by seeing if our President is applying his Bible’s teaching on power.

The Cooler Side of Global Warming

     We’ve reviewed the rainy and drought aspects of climate change, but equally significant is the icy aspect of the weather; past, present, and future.

     Once again, prior to the time of Moses, the book of Job provides a glimpse of God’s sovereignty relative to cold, snow, and ice.  As God continued to interrogate Job, He asked:

     “From whose womb comes the ice?  And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?  The waters harden like stone, and the surface of the deep is frozen.”  Job 38:29-30

     “Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?”  Job 38:22-23

     Not only does God remind Job that he has no control over snow or hail, He reveals further that snow and/or hail is being reserved to use as a weapon of mass destruction for the future day of war.

     God used hail, in fact, as one of the plagues He brought on Pharaoh as He was preparing to deliver the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt.

     “Behold tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now.”  Exodus 9:18

     Moses continued by stating the hail would be so severe that any person or animal left in the fields would be killed by the hail.

     “And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field.  Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.”  Exodus 9:25-26

     Pharaoh, realizing he had crossed the red line, told Moses that he would release the children of Israel.  He further admitted that the LORD was righteous while he, Pharaoh, was evil.  Moses then said he would entreat God to end the plague.

     “So Moses said to him, ‘As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.’”  Exodus 9:29

     Then Pharaoh revealed his true self.

     “…when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart…”  Exodus 9:34

     Pharaoh’s actions brought on the three final plagues which led to redemption and the Passover.

     Approximately 500 years after the Exodus the Psalmist confirmed God’s sovereignty relative to the ice; its formation and its melting.

     “He casts out His hail like morsels; who can stand before His cold?  He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.”  Psalm 147:17-18

     It is interesting to note Job’s response after God’s interrogation.  Even though God hadn’t revealed His purpose for Job’s suffering, Job had a glimpse of the sovereignty of almighty God.

     “Then Job answered the LORD and said: ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You…Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’”  Job 42:1-3, 6

     According to the Bible, hail is still being reserved in God’s treasury to be released as the seventh bowl judgment just prior to Christ’s return to end the tribulation.

      “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl... and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven…saying, ‘It is done!’…And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent (100 lbs).  Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.”  Revelation 16:17, 21

     Knowing all this, is it possible our nation’s leaders will acknowledge God’s sovereignty and repent like Job?

     Perhaps there will be a million man march in Washington, each carrying placards and singing the presidential anthem loudly with one accord: “Hail to the Chief!”