Posts
There is no doubt that God was going to be fully identified with man, and apart from embracing the totality of suffering, (the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. -God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God), it would end up as a stalemate.
Because God is intimately acquainted with suffering, maybe it is in fact through our sufferings we are brought as through a portal into a whole new dimension of living.
Luke 9:28-31 talks about many things, but one of the key things that stands out to me regarding the transfiguration of Jesus was that Moses and Elijah appeared in glory with Jesus and were discussing what was about to be opened up because of his suffering and death on the cross.
I love how it clearly says, Jesus himself speaking, ‘I am the one that closes doors no man can open, as well as open doors that no man can close’.
This in fact was about to happen, there was an exodus about to unfold that totally eclipsed what man saw and experienced as Moses was used in the exodus of leading bond slaves out of bondage toward freedom land.
Since the fall in the garden, a ‘door’ was closed that no man could open until the second man, the last Adam came to open a door that no man could shut, and in my opinion this new reality about to unfold, was a big portion of what Moses and Elijah were discussing with Jesus.
Jesus was about to lead captivity captive!!
As I pondered these thoughts this morning, thinking of how the Father used the cross with all of its shame and suffering to become a portal whereby anyone could pass through it and enter into something far greater than simply going to a ‘promised land’, but in fact becoming one with Him who promised to free those who were born prisoners.
Suddenly I saw that experiencing any suffering in being identified with Him was going to be used in opening up whole new dimensions of understanding of what it means to be loved as His son.
These present but momentary light afflictions are nothing in comparison to what is unfolding in our lives right now as we embrace them. (Suffering in our flesh, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions).
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourself with the same way of thinking (mind), for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
Rich
Because God is intimately acquainted with suffering, maybe it is in fact through our sufferings we are brought as through a portal into a whole new dimension of living.
Luke 9:28-31 talks about many things, but one of the key things that stands out to me regarding the transfiguration of Jesus was that Moses and Elijah appeared in glory with Jesus and were discussing what was about to be opened up because of his suffering and death on the cross.
I love how it clearly says, Jesus himself speaking, ‘I am the one that closes doors no man can open, as well as open doors that no man can close’.
This in fact was about to happen, there was an exodus about to unfold that totally eclipsed what man saw and experienced as Moses was used in the exodus of leading bond slaves out of bondage toward freedom land.
Since the fall in the garden, a ‘door’ was closed that no man could open until the second man, the last Adam came to open a door that no man could shut, and in my opinion this new reality about to unfold, was a big portion of what Moses and Elijah were discussing with Jesus.
Jesus was about to lead captivity captive!!
As I pondered these thoughts this morning, thinking of how the Father used the cross with all of its shame and suffering to become a portal whereby anyone could pass through it and enter into something far greater than simply going to a ‘promised land’, but in fact becoming one with Him who promised to free those who were born prisoners.
Suddenly I saw that experiencing any suffering in being identified with Him was going to be used in opening up whole new dimensions of understanding of what it means to be loved as His son.
These present but momentary light afflictions are nothing in comparison to what is unfolding in our lives right now as we embrace them. (Suffering in our flesh, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions).
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourself with the same way of thinking (mind), for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
Rich
No comments:
Post a Comment