So MANY pictures - so little time. One of the difficult parts of STUDY is the attempt to communicate in FEW words the very huge concept. JESUS is THE subject of all of history and most disciplines just ignore HIM or try to relegate HIM to a status of "prophet" or "good teacher" or some-such. It is very challenging to report on a situation which COULD only occur ONE time in all of history - and is the single most important act to have ever occurred and is a concept which is beyond the ability of our minds to even fathom - and yet WE MUST do it. WOW - what a quandary. Talk about "walking on hallowed ground" - BUT THERE IS MORE.
God already wrote the story down in Scripture - did I think I could do Him one better? ADD to that - the BIBLE is the single more discussed and dismissed book of all time - to one degree or another. Us humans just cannot agree on almost any subject the Bible brings up - and then I come along and try to actually make what God wrote BETTER? That's worse than arrogance - it is insanity.
So - call me crazy and lock me up! I am not trying to do God one better. All I simply wish to do is share my pilgrimage to part of an understanding of God's heart and plans for mankind. Much of what I write is demanded because translations are so limited - and PART of that is because we just don't have the courage to actually TRANSLATE the original into OUR language. But - that's another story. After all, language presents that challenge in all disciplines - but this subject is a supernatural one - and Satan is alive and involved in causing much deception since "He transforms Himself into an angel of light" - which to my way of thinking is much like a "preacher of the Gospel" - and THAT IS PRETTY SNEAKY.
The SUBJECT is JESUS - and since He is the "lamb slain BEFORE the foundation of the world" we have a subject which stretches our minds to the breaking point. When the author of Hebrews started his letter he wrote about a contrast: "God who in former times spoke to us in various ways, has in these last days spoken to us in SON" - and as I contemplate this one well-known verse I can see much of my former problem which may still be part of my continuing struggle. God USED to speak in various way - but NOW speaks in ONE WAY - and the way and the message are ONE WAY - a "SON MESSAGE" - a message in a person. Interestingly enough, the concept is not that Jesus came TALKING necessarily, but HE is THE message - period.
That was my challenge to receive. I'm here to share my conclusion that Jesus is HIMSELF the New Covenant - but no one talks about that - so how can it be explained? The Hebrews' author said it - and we just run past HIM to stuff about Him. So - why should I lose sleep over it - after all - I'll get labeled as some "kook" anyhow?
I remember responding to an aquaintance in this regard who finally said, "I think you've gone off on a tangent with this subject!" And - my response (since I'm not good at confrontation) was - "Maybe - or maybe I've gone toward THE CENTER instead! HOW will you decide which one is happening? Let's talk about which Scriptures you feel I am abusing and which Scriptures you think I ignore."
Well - he said he would get back to me on that - and he is still my friend, I think - but that was 25 years ago and I have studied the concepts every day since that time.
For today - allow me to challenge you with a concept already in evidence - Paul taught "the new moons and feasts are shadows; the SUBSTANCE is CHRIST" Colossians 2:17. The new moon celebration was attended by silver trumpets as were some feasts. The FOCUS however was not the trumpet or the feast - but God's PROVISION. The silver used to make the trumpet came from "redemption money" - and focused with each blast, the minds of hearers on the fact that they belonged to a covenant God. The idea is that God cares for me and God will take care of me. AND - our new Testament concept is even more focused. JESUS - is a multifaceted picture of God's continual care and has a ultimate focus on eternal care guaranteed to us for our security and peace. We need a fresh trumpet blast to remind us - JESUS is God's EVERYTHING and HE is God's GIFT to us. He REDEEMED us and He will guarantee the future safety and provision. John discussed it by saying that we even have FULL CONFIDENCE on Judgment DAY itself - 1 John 4:13-17. His conclusion is something to behold - "because, as HE is - so are WE in this world." I have had a couple friends confess they could not believe that verse by any general explanation. I said, "I don't blame you - to be honest - it is just too much." BUT - we all know it is TRUTH - Jesus is our provision on judgment day - but in my short 65 years I have NEVER heard a story told of judgment Day which had any kind of confidence or Jesus focus! (After all, those stories are to "motivate" folks and it is best to make them feel VERY alone!)
For today - just focus on that one word I used - "guaranteed" - and try to check that subject out in your Bible. Start at Romans 4:16 and let me know what YOU come up with.
One last hint - IF John was right - "as HE is, so are WE in this world - so we HAVE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE on Judgment day" - can you share with me a time when we CANNOT have confidence? OR - maybe we can say it - is there a time when we SHOULD not have FULL CONFIDENCE?
Jesus is our confidence - and HE is the full focus of meaning and HE is presented in the NT as - OUR LIFE. I have repented of watering down the story - and this context of 1 John 4 is one reason why. Share with me YOUR findings. The substance is Christ - not words about Christ - Christ Himself - more to come . . .
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Some comments on "dong God one better" and "going off on a tangent." I've had to come to terms with the fact that the Bible is sometimes (often?) difficult to understand. Although there's far more to it -- for example, history, creeds, indoctrination -- I now believe part of the reason for the multitude of denominations is scripture itself. Many Christians are loath to hear that, but I believe it to be true, nonetheless. I've changed my opinion about what biblical passages say many times, and I will probably change it again. It sometimes irritates me when someone tells me I just have to be open to the Spirit. Yet many people who claim that the Spirit has led them to understand, or understand more deeply, a passage of scripture frequently disagree about what it means. Why the need for numerous commentaries and Sunday sermons if the Bible is absolutely clear on every point. When we deal with difficult passages is it imperative that we learn as much as we can about the historical, cultural, and social context of the period in which the passage was written, if we can determine what period we're dealing with. And, of course, the textual context mustn't be overlooked. I believe you're right to imply that we can't go God one better. Those who are called to preach and teach, however, have a responsibility to expose the meaning of the text. That's why I believe expository preaching should command most of our attention, not that topical preaching is necessarily bad. In fact, it's sometimes necessary. Sermons can often be both, when a passage focuses on one topic.
Going off on a tangent is easy to do, and I'm not accusing you of that. I often, wonder, though, whether I've become too attached to a topic, so much so that I can't let go. Sometimes it not a specific topic; rather it's a tendency that I (think)I see in others, a tendency to overlook the questions that the text is begging us to explore. I often fear that I think more highly of myself than I ought. It seems to me scripture has something to say about that. I have to keep reminding myself that self-deception is one of the most common of all human failures.
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