Oo
He was the obedient Son. Heb 5:8-9
I am bought with a price 1 Cor 6:20
He was the obedient Son. Heb 5:8-9 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
Dodi Note: We have been talking about this concept at church. There is another verse found in Luke 2:53, which says, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Therefore we KNOW that Jesus had to “grow up” just like we do. Grow up as in become an adult (stature), but also grow in wisdom and obedience. Personally one reason that much of what I share here is related to the Nature and Character of God is because, as I/we learn Who God is then we develop wisdom about God, which leads to trust IN GOD and that manifests itself as the ability to choose OBEIDENCE to God.
I am bought with a price 1 Cor 6:20 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Dodi Note: Our salvation was not free. It cost Jesus an agonizing and OBEIDENT death on the cross. We know he did not want to suffer that because in the Gospels we see him asking God, no imploring God to “take this cup from me”. This was symbolic in two ways. First of all the final cup of the Passover Feast, was the cup of REDEMPTION. Let me share with you from a site called Jews For Jesus.
The New Testament names one of the cups—the cup taken after supper, which is traditionally the third cup. Jesus calls this cup “the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The Apostle Paul calls it, “the cup of blessing which we bless,” as well as “the cup of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:16,21).
Both Jesus and Paul draw on something from Jewish tradition to provide insights not previously understood. By calling the cup “the new covenant in my blood,” Jesus makes a direct reference to the promise of Jeremiah 31. God had declared that He would make a new covenant because the previous covenant had become “broken” (Jeremiah 31:32).
To violate a covenant agreement with God would surely incur His wrath and judgment—a terrible cup! But instead, God promised a new covenant of grace and salvation.
Jesus declared that this new covenant would be poured from the cup of salvation in His blood. The cup of redemption stood for more than the Hebrews’ escape from Egypt; it stood for the plan and purpose of God for all the ages. Judgment and salvation, wrath and redemption are brought together in the mystery of one cup, explained by the Messiah in that upper room. Jesus was not speaking of the cup in a purely symbolic manner. He was describing events that would soon occur in His own life.
The Agony of Judgment and the Promise of Blessing
Later that evening in the garden of Gethsemane He cried out to the Lord in anguished prayer, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). In His humanity, Jesus could wish that this cup of judgment—the one that everyone except Him deserved for breaking of God’s covenant—would pass over Him. Yet, as the obedient Son of God, Jesus knew that the cup of blessing could only be poured out for the salvation of many if He would first drink the cup of God’s judgment on all humanity.
Despite the agony of separation from the Father, our Lord was willing to drink this cup, to bear this judgment, to suffer this horror and death that we might be free and forgiven. No wonder the Apostle Paul calls this “the cup of blessing which we bless.” What greater blessing can there be than that which Messiah purchased for us in His death, burial and resurrection?
In calling this the cup of blessing as it was known in the Jewish Passover, the Apostle Paul points out the powerful connection between Passover and Holy Communion. The roots of this sacrament are sunk deep in the eternal plan of God, which is unfolded through the pages of Scripture, as well as in the traditions of God’s chosen people, the Jews.
This cup embodies the problem of judgment as well as the promise of redemption. It reminds me of another cup that blends the problem and the promise.
Isn’t that interesting? Jesus was obedient even unto death and by doing so fulfilled the Prophecies but also modeled being obedient even when it seems too hard to do so. Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
He is the only God Ps 86:10
I am devoted to him. Ps 86:2
He is the only God. This is an important concept. We are NOT to have ANY other Gods (idols, self things) but God. That is a commandment found in Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me. God is THE ONLY TRUE GOD. So we are now going to just read a few verses along that line.
Ps 86:10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
2 Samuel 7:22
How great You are, O Lord GOD! For there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.
Psalm 83:18
May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
Isaiah 37:16
"O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.
Therefore we are to be devoted (only or fore mostly) to Him.
I am devoted to Him.
Ps 86:2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
Dodi Note: Notice in order to be devoted to Him, we must first TRUST Him. And there is a reward which is having our lives preserved.
Psalm 4:3
Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD will hear when I call to Him.
Dodi Note: We, those who are devoted to God, are set apart and the LORD will hear us when we call for him.
I learned something recently. When 1 Peter 1:15-16 instructs us to “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” We may want to scream, but I am not holy. And that is true but holy means “set apart” not perfect. I always thought and I have heard people say we can be perfect or else God would not have said that but holy means “set apart” and we ARE set apart as belonging to God. So we are called to trust God and not trust in any sort of idols, etc.
Including the idol of “self”.
Psalm 31:14
But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Dodi Note: I love this reminder. If we place and continually choose to place all our trust in God then really, what can mere man do to us? The can kill our body. But we are not just a body. We are an eternal spirit living in a temporary body and those of us who are truly born again, will live eternally with God in heaven. Not to mention we will get a new body. (Smile)
He opposes the proud. 1 Pet 5:5
I am zealous for what is good. 1 Pet 3:13
He opposes the proud. 1 Pet 5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Dodi Note: Pretty clear isn’t it? Be humble toward one another. Take care of one another. If someone is hungry, even your worse enemy give him food.
I am zealous for what is good. 1 Pet 3:13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
NLT Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?
Dodi Note: Remember “zealous” means excited about. Think a sports fan at a game cheering a winning team. We are to be super on fire for doing what is good. Not good in our own eyes, but good according to the Word and Character of God.
He is over all. Rom 9:5
I am royalty. Rom 8:16-17
He is over all. Rom 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Dodi Note: Don’t you love remembering this? God is LORD over all….yes even the naysayers and God haters and “that one” who is a bane in your life. One day, as it says in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'"
I am royalty. Rom 8:16-17 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Dodi Note: I would change royalty to “heir”. But Sylvia didn’t so we will honor her quote. We ARE CHILDREN of GOD. Nothing can rob us of that heritage. We were CREATED in the IMAGE of GOD (Gen 1:27) to bring glory to His name. But what we forget is all of humankind was created in God’s own image to do GOOD works God has prepared for them to walk in. The problem is some reject him and choose to go their own self-centered way. The good news is, we who have invited Jesus into our hearts as LORD and Savior have become his CHILDREN. (Remember if one is truly born again it is not just a matter of saying a prayer, or getting baptized, it implies a HEART change. New birth BEGINS the process of being transformed into the likeness of God.
Pp
He pardons sin and forgives transgression. Mic. 7:18
I am forgiven of my sins. 1 John 1:9
He pardons sin and forgives transgression. Mic. 7:18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
Dodi Note: This is a great verse. We need to remember that while God is holy and cannot tolerate sin, his nature is also LOVE. In fact God is LOVE it says so in 1 john 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. So yes, God pardons sin and does not retain his anger toward us, and has STEADFAST love FOR us, but he also expects us to turn and do the same.
I am forgiven of my sins. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Dodi Note: Be sure to notice the end of this verse. When we admit our sin and turn to God he forgives but he does not leave us there, he CLEANSES us from ALL unrighteousness. We are given a clean slate. It can be a pivotal turning point in our lives of faith when we really understand that when we repented of our sin, we were cleansed. Made clean. If we keep on going around all “hang dog” and refuse to receive that forgiveness. And cleansing. And moan and groan about what did in the past and never step into the new way of life we have been offered in Christ what are saying about his death on that cross? Aren’t we either disbelieving God’s goodness and sort of negating his suffering when we refuse to “forgive ourselves”? Honestly that is a weird term. We don’t actually have the power to forgive ourselves, but we do have to CHOOSE to RECEIVE the forgiveness AND CLEANSING we have been given.
Any comments?
He is my Passover Lamb. 1 Cor. 5:7
I am saved as His gift. Eph 2:8
He is my Passover Lamb. 1 Cor. 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Dodi Note: Interesting tidbit hidden here, which kind of refers or could to what we just talked about. At Passover they Jews get rid of all leaven aka yeast. They also clean their house from top to bottom to be sure there is no leaven crumbs hiding. They start fresh, just as they did during the Exodus. When we are born again. When Jesus comes into our heart as “the Lamb of God who takes away our sin”, we get to start fresh and new. Right?
I am saved as His gift. Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Dodi Note: A GIFT. We don’t earn it, we can’t. We are not expected to “get it right” from that point forward. But we ARE expected to surrender and seek God’s way moment by every next moment.
He is patient 1 Tim 1:16
I am becoming mature and complete. James 1:2-4
He is patient 1 Tim 1:16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
NLT But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
Dodi Note: Good thing God is patient. Right? And what are we to do in return? The next verse tells us.
I am becoming mature and complete. James 1:2-4 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Dodi Note: Notice “becoming”. Now that is interesting. As we “be” coming to Jesus we will become more and more like him. We are not going to suddenly become immune to temptation or trials, but we can be very certain that all of that is part of the transformation that is called “sanctification”.
He is the potter. Isa 64:8
I am clay in the Potter’s hand. Jer. 18:6
He is the potter. Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Dodi Note: Now you know why we listened to the song we did. God begins crafting us in our mother’s womb and never takes his eyes, his heart, or his hand off of us as long as we live.
I am clay in the Potter’s hand. Jer. 18:6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Dodi Note: This implies that God is fully capable to take care of us. All we have to do is choose to trust Him and entrust ourselves to him.
Jesus is the power and wisdom of God. 1 Cor 1:24
I have wisdom in Christ. Col 2:2-3
Jesus is the power and wisdom of God. 1 Cor 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Therefore:
I have wisdom in Christ. Col 2:2-3 2that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Dodi Note: Look at the richness of this beautiful passage! Our hearts encouraged. Knit together in love. Attaining full assurance and understanding. Knowing more and more Jesus himself in who ARE ALL the TREASURES and KNOWLEDGE we need to live the life he has given us to live. Yes even if we are a widow now, or in need, or mentally ill, or physically ill, or feeling however we feel, the fact is God is with us and LOVES us.
Not only that our next couplet reminds us:
He is my preserver. Ps 138:7
I am the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13
He is my preserver. Ps 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.
Dodi Note: When we are “still” and allow God to move, and as we forgive “them” and release “them” to God, we WILL see this in action.
I am the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
Dodi Note: We need to be on guard. We need to be walking WITH God and living life HIS way and the others will want what we have.
He is my priest. Heb 5:6
God does not accuse me. Psalm 103:9
He is my priest. Heb 5:6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
Dodi Note: Some churches teach that you need more than Jesus. Those priests are somehow better than us. The only “Priest” we need is Jesus. It is ok to have a pastor, even good. It is good to learn from those who know much more than we do. It is good to receive wise counsel but we do not need a “priest” other than Jesus for Salvation or forgiveness.
I am not accused by God. Psalm 103:9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
Dodi Note: Such a kind Father God.
He is pure and purifier. Titus 2:14
I am purified. 1 John 1:7,9
He is pure and purifier. Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Dodi Note: “Gave Himself” refers to the beginning thing we discussed the death on the Cross.
I am purified. 1 John 1:7,9 7but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
Dodi Note: We discussed this.
Our final couplet tonight:
He is the quieter of the storm. Matthew 8:26
I am quieted with His love. Zep 3:17
He is the quieter of the storm. Matthew 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
I am quieted with His love. Zep 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Dodi Note: One of my favorite verses. Sometimes we get kind of “down” on ourselves, or I do. It is good to remember Zep 3:17 and pause and invite and allow God to do just that.
Song to End with based on this verse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ULq_tTj74