Tuesday - Passion Week

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint and I know I will not be put to shame.”

Isaiah 50:7

In reflecting on this particular week of Jesus’ life, we are mindful of how we are to become like Him. “As He is so are we in this world”.  When we reflect on the way Jesus moved through all the rejection, betrayal, pain and death, we are reminded of how we are to respond in every given situation.  While we will never face the intensity of what Jesus suffered, there are many of us who have and will suffer for our faith. 
 

“The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we deny him, he also will deny us.”  2 Timothy 2:11-12

 “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.”  

Philippians 1:29

I’m mindful of what it takes to keep moving forward, knowing that it will cost.  Reading Jesus’ movements through this week are always very sobering for me.  It stirs within me every desire to be as faithful to my assigned purpose as He was to His.  

Tuesday would have been like any other day except Jesus is one day closer to the cross. From Marks Gospel we see Jesus taking every opportunity to teach on this day.  Mark 11:20 begins with the disciples going back into Jerusalem for the day. The cursed fig tree is found withered and Jesus encourages faith in God, prayer and forgiveness.  At the the temple, as he is teaching, his authority is challenged by the religious rulers ~ Mark 11:27-33.  After He observes the widows offering, Jesus leaves the temple, and reading Matthews Gospel, chapter 24 and chapter 25, we see His conversations with the disciples.  Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple, Signs of the End of Age, The parable of the Ten Virgins and The Talents and finishes with his teaching on the Final Judgment.

Matthew 26:1 When Jesus had finished all these saying, she said to his disciples, “you know that after two days the Passover is coming and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

What a note to end your day.    

Monday ~ Passion Week

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, [Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Luke 9:51 ESV

Yesterday we joined with multitudes of Christians celebrating Palm Sunday marking the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem and the beginning of what is commonly termed the Passion Week of Christ.  

His entrance was met with cries of Hosanna to God in the Highest and praises for the one that many believed would deliver them from Roman Rule. 

“Blessed is the King who comes in the camera the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  Luke 19:38


Jesus however knowing what lays before, weeps over the city because they did not know their day of visitation. Luke 19:41-44.  Jesus knowing the prophetic word of Isaiah 53 must yet be fulfilled, understands what awaits Him. 

Mondays events: Mark 11:12 -19  Jesus leaves Bethany to come back into Jerusalem. He curses the fruitless fig tree and cleanses the temple. Each event holds its own significance and perhaps somehow reflects His weeping over Jerusalem. 

Jesus, having already experienced much rejection and will soon know the betrayal of one of his own, has ‘set his face’ to move forward. 

“Behold I have come to do your will O God as it is written in the scroll of the book.”  Hebrews 10:7

This speaks to me of the volume of His love for the Father and mankind.  That knowing what is set before Him, His face is set to fully embrace all that is to come.

Anointed with the oil of joy, He endures for the joy set before Him.  What joy can there possibly be in the cross except knowing, understanding, and believing your life is a seed that must be sown for the birthing of many others.  

As we go through the days of this week let us be mindful of the power of that love that led Him to suffer on our behalf that we might live with Him.

Sanctified unto Obedience

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16 ESV 

NLT: verses 14-16

 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Helps Word Studies ~ Sanctification and Holy…..

40 hágios – properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."

The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century was hagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios ("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord." 

[40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different(distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]

hagiasmos: Sanctification, holiness, consecration. 

Cognate: 38 hagiasmós (a masculine noun derived from 40 /hágios, "holy") – sanctification (the process of advancing in holiness); use of the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (similarity of nature).  See 40 /hagios ("holy").

God’s work in us is meant to flow through us, touching the lives of others. When Jesus was moved with compassion for the needs of the multitudes, He called and sent out His twelve disciples. He gave them authority and instruction so they could continue the work He had begun. In the same way, we—His body—carry on His work by the power of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness to this life-giving grace.

When Peter wrote to the Jewish exiles scattered throughout Asia Minor, he urged them to prepare their minds and remain sober-minded—to think clearly about their spiritual condition within their circumstances. Why? Because in the midst of adversity, it is easy to lose sight of God’s purposes. Our attention can drift, becoming self-focused, and we can lose awareness of the sanctifying work God is continually doing in us for obedience to Christ.

This reflects the tension Paul describes in Romans 7:

When I want to do good, evil is close at hand. Though I delight in God’s law inwardly, I see another law at work within me, waging war against my mind. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ. For the law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Romans 7:21–25; 8:2).

This tension calls us to live sanctified and holy. Sanctification and holiness go hand in hand. We have been set apart unto God, for God—and the outworking of that reality is a life of holiness, a willing agreement with His purpose to use us for His service in every situation. 

To be sober-minded, then, is to remember that there is a God—and it is not us. Our need for Him is constant and essential. As we grow in understanding His holiness, we begin to understand what it means for us to be holy as well.

Ultimately, this is not about human effort, but about trusting that the One who lives within us is at work in us, both to will and to act according to His good pleasure. What He requires, He also graciously empowers by His Spirit of Grace. 

Power To Become

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…..

Acts 1:8 

From Helps Word Studies we learn about this word ‘power’

1411 dýnamis (from 1410 (gdef:1410)/dýnamai, "to be able, have ability") – properly, "ability to perform" (L-N); for the believer, power to achieve through the Lord's inherent ability (power).

"Power through God's ability" (1411/dýnamis) is needed in every scene of life to really grow in sanctification and prepare for heaven (glorification).  1411 (dynamis) is a very important term, used 120 times in the NT.

1411 (dynamis) specifically refers to being enabled by God – i.e. empowered with His ability to do as He directs.  1411/dýnamis ("divine ability") focuses on God's potential (latent) ability which is activated in the believer who receives (obeys) His inbirthed word ("divine persuasion"). 

With this in mind, it is no wonder Paul could proclaim, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The promise of Acts 1:8 reminds us that we have been equipped by the Holy Spirit to do and become everything God has purposed.

For the disciples, this empowering was a secondary experience. The Gospel of John tells us that after His resurrection, Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). At that moment they were born again through the regenerating work of the Spirit (see also Titus 3:5). Later, as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit came upon them with power to enable them for witness.

We often refer to this word power as miracle-working power, and rightly so. The rebirth of a human spirit—from death to life—is itself a miracle beyond comprehension. What could be more miraculous than that?

Acts 1:8  also tells us this power is given so that we may be His witnesses wherever we go. God’s divine ability, imparted to every believer, enables us not only to speak for Him but also to live in a way that reflects Him. It is a transforming power—working within us moment by moment.

Paul understood this well when he wrote, “When I am weak, then I am strong,” because the grace of God was sufficient for him (Romans 5:20; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10). God’s grace supplied what Paul lacked. His strength was made perfect in human weakness.

This truth is encouraging for those who recognize their need for God’s help. None of us lives independently of Him. In reality, we are always witnessing—through our words, our actions, and our attitudes.

In Philippians 4, Paul explained that he had learned how to live in every circumstance—whether in abundance or in need. He had discovered the secret of contentment. That secret was the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, enabling him to face every situation through God’s power.

There is tremendous freedom in learning this secret. When we truly believe that God’s power lives within us, it produces a quiet confidence and a holy boldness. We are able to “stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

To seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is to continually look to Him for help. It is recognizing that His Spirit is present and ready to enable us in every circumstance.  You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you is not just a theology but the vital reality of our daily lives. 

His Kingdom

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT MEAT AND DRINK BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST.  

ROMANS 14:17

Righteousness from Helps Word Study ~ 

#1343 dikaiosýnē (from 1349/díkē, "a judicial verdict") – properly, judicial approval (the verdict of approval); in the NT, the approval of God ("divine approval").

1343/dikaiosynē ("divine approval") is the regular NT term used for righteousness ("God's judicial approval").  1343/dikaiosýnē ("the approval of God") refers to what is deemed right by the Lord (i.e. after His examination, what is approved in His eyes).

God's approval (1343/dikaiosýnē, "righteousness") with the believer begins with receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Doing this changes their status before the Lord – from "condemned" to "divinely-approved."

AND the word ‘’in’ #1722 is ‘en’  (a preposition) – properly, in (inside, within); (figuratively) "in the realm (sphere) of," as in the condition(state) in which something operates from the inside (within).

With that in mind, consider our verse today.

If our life is not right, it cannot hold peace. If it does not hold peace, joy will not be present. When these qualities are absent, we are not operating in the Kingdom of God, nor are we living in the realm of the Holy Spirit.

Where things are right, peace is produced. Where rightness and peace are present, joy follows. These three qualities are worked in us and through us by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  So living in the Kingdom of God begins with establishing what is right.

What is right is always defined by God. Prior to our salvation, we were not right in God’s sight. We were loved, yet unable to enjoy the benefits of union with God as Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.

After accepting Jesus, we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that we become new creatures: old things have passed away and all things have become new. Verse 21 goes on to tell us that Jesus was made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  We are now right in the sight of God because Jesus was, and is, right.

Through His righteousness we now have entrance into His Kingdom — a Kingdom of light. In His Kingdom, righteousness — the place of being right and doing right according to God’s standard — brings us into the peace that has been given to us and is meant to govern our lives.  Where we walk in paths of righteousness, we hold peace.  Where we hold peace in our hearts, joy follows.

The phrase “in the Holy Spirit” frames the entire context of this verse. Righteousness, peace, and joy are the elements that bring us into wholeness — unity with the Father that leads toward oneness — and this always yields rest.  To value and honor the way our Father leads and guides us into these paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake, becomes our pathway of blessing.

Just as we are spirit, soul, and body, so the Kingdom operates within these three, bringing them into wholeness. Together they function like a three-stranded cord. When we separate them, the fruit that comes from their unity is no longer as strong or healthy.

Over the next few weeks, I would like us to consider together the many things we are meant to enjoy, experience, and operate in, through the Holy Spirit as we live in the Kingdom of God.  These are not distant ideals, but realities the Holy Spirit works within us as we learn to walk in the life of the Kingdom.

Over the next few weeks, I would like us to consider together the many things we are meant to enjoy, experience, and live in through the Holy Spirit as we walk in the Kingdom of God. As we look at these truths, my prayer is that we will not only understand them more clearly, but also learn to recognize them at work within us, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us more fully into the life of righteousness, peace, and joy that the Father has prepared for His children.

As He Is

              “…as he is, so are we in this world.”  

                             1 John 4:17 KJV. 

Our verse today hinges on knowing and believing in God's love for us.  This love, which we abide in, gives us confidence to stand before Him without fear of judgment because… ‘as he is so are we in this world.’ 

Following our commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, God’s purpose for our lives is that they be transformed.  He calls us to transformation, not behaviour modification.  

Transformation ultimately modifies our behaviour, and it begins with what we choose to look at: Him and His word. 

Romans tells us we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of His son, Romans 8:28.  From John’s first Epistle, we learn that while we are in the world, we are not ‘of’ it.  Meaning that we do not derive our life from the things that are in this world. 

‘As he is, so are we in this world,’ signifies that believers now have a position found in Christ. Discovering every spiritual blessing given to us in Christ begins our process of transformation.   We are given His righteousness, His right.ness.  We have been made acceptable in the sight of our Heavenly Father, because Jesus’ blood has cleansed us, sanctified us, and made us Holy.  Jesus’ work has made a way for us to stand before the Father free from fear of judgment. 

‘As He is, so are we in this world,’ places responsibility upon every believer to hold himself accountable to the standards the word of God sets for a believer. Every believer is charged to put off the old man and put on the new man, as Ephesians 4:24 states, who is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

‘As He is, so are we in this world’ also calls on us to continue His work. From Mark 16: we find signs accompany those who believe in His name.  Believers abide in Him and His words, knowing apart from Him they can do nothing, but with Him, they are able to do all things through the strength He provides.  

In our human need to see and know the love and goodness of God, we, as transformed men and women, become their best opportunity to see Him reflected.  

Good Soliders

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy  2:3. KJV 

• Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. NASB

• Take with me your share of hardship [passing through the difficulties which you are called to endure], like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  AMP 

• When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders.  MESSAGE

The Bible, as the living Word of God, was our primary focus when David and I were born again. Our church was in the midst of a revival, with signs and wonders continually confirming the Word. We learned God’s promises, which enabled us to become overcomers through Jesus Christ.

Encouraged and taught to believe in God through these promises, I began to develop a mindset that assumed God had promised me a life without turmoil, pain, or suffering. My faith was directed toward avoiding anything that looked hard or painful. I leaned on scriptures such as, “No evil shall befall me,” “No plague shall come near my dwelling,” and “My God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

And all of these scriptures are true—but there is always a fuller application to them.

In other words, God doesn’t necessarily define evilthe way I do. God always supplies all my needs; I may simply expect a different supply than what God knows I need. Sickness is part of this world’s curse, and when my body is not properly cared for, it becomes vulnerable. None of these circumstances mean that God is absent, that He approves of them, or that He is not actively working deliverance for me.

We cannot read the Bible and escape the truth that Jesus and the apostles lived lives marked by adversity and persecution. Paul records a litany of hardships and life-threatening conditions in his letters, reminding us that in this world we will face temptation and trial. Yet in the midst of it all, Paul writes that nothing can separate us from the love of God. He tells us that no temptation has overtaken us except what is common to man, and that God—by His mercy and grace—is faithful to make a way of escape. Therefore, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

We are called to lift our eyes to the One who is everything we need in our moments of adversity. To endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ is a command for every believer—to remain steadfast in confidence and trust in God. Exhorted to have faith in God, we are strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, knowing and believing that He is at work, perfecting everything that concerns us.

Enduring hardness emphasizes our need to look beyond the things of this world and remember that we are here to please Him. Paul continues his metaphor, explaining that no soldier becomes entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

We strive for the crown that is laid up for us in heaven; therefore, we endure hardness as a good soldier, looking unto Jesus who, for the joy set before Him, endured.  

According To The Will of God

Grace to you and peace from God, our father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3 ESV

Paul’s prayer draws our attention to the grace and peace that come from God. Here we pause to consider. It will not come from the appetites in the world, for Paul calls this a ‘present evil age’. It was a present evil age when Paul wrote this letter, and it will remain a ‘present evil age’ until Jesus returns. In this world you will have trouble, but we are not of this world, nor do we fashion ourselves by its system. While we live out our earthly time, we are daily reminded of this reality. 

In the now and not yet, Paul calls for our attention to be directed to God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who holds the grace and peace needed. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, ‘where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. Simply meaning, sin is not stronger than the enabling power of God working to keep you from falling into whatever temptation is set before you. But it is by faith that we access this grace and stand in it, as Romans 5 says. The writer of Hebrews tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. 

God is our ‘Boethos’. The one who responds to our cry for Help. 

Our cry must come first, then God responds to it. We must see our need for God. 

If I trust in the arm of flesh, there will be no supernatural power coming to me. These are truths I must continually hold before me. I am not the Saviour. There is no other name given under heaven where mankind is saved - out of, from, this present evil age. 

As our Father, he is moved with compassion. Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Grace and peace are to the one who comes to the one who is filled with the power and might to help, and ‘our Father’ as the one who is moved with great love and compassion to save.

We find both the nature and character of God in the very word Father. Ephesians tells us we have been chosen by Him to be adopted into His Family. The James T. Hudson Translation of Ephesians 3 of Paul’s prayer in verses 14-15 reads, ‘ I bow my knees to the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name and nature.’ 

We see in our verse from Galatians 1 Paul’s immersion into the thankfulness of this place and provision we have been given through Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD. We need to hold on to the reality of what God's will is for our lives. 

While we live in this world, we are called to endure and remain steadfast in our commitment to Christ. We live overcoming lives through what Christ has provided, deliverance from the power and dominion of sin, with all the grace, mercy and peace we need daily. 

This is the will of our God and Father, which is why Paul proclaims, to Him be the glory forever and ever. 

Amen. 

Manifest His Name

I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.

John 17:6 ESV 

We must remember the two-fold purpose of Jesus.  First, to reveal the true nature of the Father (John 14:9; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 1:2), and then to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). These two realities are always working.

Jesus came to make known to the world the Father,  both His name and His nature. When people ‘know’ me, Jeanne McGrew, and speak my name, they are declaring the essence of who I am, both personality and character. They understand what I believe and how I live.   The more intimate the relationship, the more they would know about Jeanne McGrew as a whole.  

When Jesus declared, 

“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”  John 17:26…

We then understood that knowing the name of God enables us to abide in God's love.  Not only do we find in John 17:3 that the entrance to eternal life is through the knowledge of God and His son Jesus Christ, but we also now learn that knowing His name enables His love.  

Jesus’ union with the Father continually manifested His name and nature.  Jesus told Philip, He who has seen me has seen the Father, John 14:9.  Every word, every action, was a manifestation of the Father.  Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.  He only said what He heard the Father say.  This union, driven by the love, was the impacting power of His ministry. 

God is love, and God is good. God is kind.  God is rich in mercy.  God is faithful.  God is a consuming fire.  He is jealous. God is long-suffering.  God is willing.  God is able.  Every aspect of the name and nature of God must be experienced and learned. 

In our pursuit to see Jesus, we come to understand that it is as we behold Him that we are transformed into His image.  It’s easy for us to tell where growth and knowledge are required. It’s the areas we don’t look like Him.   By studying the word and seeing who the Father is and how Jesus portrayed Him, we learn how to be as He is in this world.  

It is as we know the name, we are able to make it known.

See and Believe

For this is the will of my father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:40

This is the will of God, that we should look upon the Son and believe in Him, resulting in eternal life.  Eternal life is not only the quantity of life but the quality of life, beginning with beholding and believing.  Jesus came so that we would have a quality of life filled with every spiritual blessing found in the heavenlies. It is as we see Jesus that we enter into this quality of life, John 14:19, and are enabled to freely give what we have freely received.  

As Jesus was the expression of His Father, we become as He is in this process of beholding. Jesus proclaimed, ‘I and the Father are one.’  ‘He who has seen me has seen the Father.’ Whoever sees me, sees Him who sent me.’   Jesus’ purpose was to manifest the Father.  Our purpose now is to manifest Jesus. 

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers states the following on this passage - 

    “And this is the will of him that sent me.—Read, For this is the will of My Father. (See John 6:39.) The common text has inserted the opening words of these verses. There can be no doubt that the change indicated gives the original           reading, and it will be seen that the relation of “Father” and “Son” is thus preserved.

    Every one which seeth the Son.—We pass here to the individuals who compose the great mass of humanity. It is the divine will that no one should be excluded, but that he may have eternal life (comp. John 3:15; John 5:24): this is the Father’s gift in the person of the Son. The exercise of the mental power to see Him, the reception of Him and trust upon Him: this is man’s acceptance of God’s gift. The word rendered “seeth” means to look upon, to contemplate, and is     the first step towards a true faith.”

From Helps Word Studies the Greek word seeth is defined ~ 

    “2334 theōréō (from 2300 /theáomai, "to gaze, contemplate") – gaze on for the purpose of analyzing(discriminating).

    2334 (theōréō) is the root of the English term "theatre," i.e., where people concentrate on the meaning of an action (performance).”

To ‘see’ Jesus there must be a ‘contemplative gazing’ of scripture, a meditation of the words until there is wisdom and understanding. Much like Joshua 1:8, ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all according to all that is written in it.  THEN you shall make your way prosperous and THEN you shall have good success. 

It is the transformation process of renewing our minds that enables us to ‘see’ Him as He is and become like Him. We saw that transformation comes from beholding, and we understand that transformation is always done by the power of the Holy Spirit as we yield to His workings.  The Holy Spirit works within us, bringing us into the revelation (wisdom and understanding) of the Father and of His Son.  

This knowledge is eternal life, John 17:3, and eternal life begins for the one who looks upon Jesus and believes in Him. 

Beholding the Lamb

The next day, he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  

John 1:29 ESV 

How we see Jesus is important.  The ‘he’ speaking  in our verse is John the Baptist, the verse goes on to say: 

“‘This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel.’”  “And John bore witness……”

Even as a natural relative, John still had to have Jesus revealed to him as the Messiah.  It was at the baptism of Jesus that John saw what all of Israel watched and waited for; the Spirit descending and resting upon him, and to this, John bore witness.  

Beholding Jesus as the Lamb of God takes us into a greater understanding of our redemption and salvation.  Israel looked and waited for their Messiah.  The one who would save and deliver them from their enemies.  They understood the sacrificial lamb offering atoned for their sins.  

To have Jesus proclaimed as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was a revelation that had to be received and believed in order to benefit.  To understand the condition and nature of sin is to realise the need for a Saviour.  There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.   Salvation is in none other.  Acts 4:12.  

We see in that when Jesus appeared, he was not exactly what they are expecting. Isn’t this our dynamic today as believers?  There are things we have yet to see and learn about Jesus as we meet our daily experiences.  Life doesn’t always live up to our expectations, and we could stumble.  Like John the Baptist in Matthew 11:3, questioning, “Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?”  This question from the one who bore witness to the Spirit descending and the Father affirming should not amaze us.  We face the same doubts when our experiences challenge our beliefs. Losing our awareness of the only one who can truly save us, is a step towards another for salvation. 

Beholding the Lamb as the one given by God to take away sin, gives us the daily assurance that we have been made right in the sight of God.   We are now able to come before Him without shame, guilt, or condemnation. Jesus became sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Not by works that we have done, Titus 3:5, but only by the gift of His son. 

Who among us does not need to be continually reminded of these truths; thus, we must, Behold the Lamb of God. 

Beholding

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

In our need and desire to see Jesus, beholding is required.  The interlinear Greek shows the word ‘beholding’ as “beholding in a mirror”.  

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the word katoptrízō—a compound of kata and a derivative of optanomai—as “to mirror oneself; to see reflected (figuratively),” that is, to behold as in a glass.

The Topical Lexicon states:

“The verb denotes the action of looking into, and thereby reflecting, a mirror. The idea combines receptive contemplation and responsive radiation. The spectator does not merely gaze; the spectator becomes a living mirror, receiving and giving back the glory viewed. Thus, it captures both beholding and displaying.”

Paul’s exhortation in this passage reminds us of the veil Moses wore (Exodus 34), which is now removed when one turns to the Lord, as explained in 2 Corinthians 3:14–16.

It is beholding that first transforms us and then causes us to reflect His glory.

As we behold Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, we begin to enter into all that His redemption provides. This is foreshadowed with the bronze serpent lifted on a pole, through which healing came to the children of Israel.

By beholding Jesus in the Gospels, we see the very nature and character of God that we are called to put on. Becoming as He is in this world is Christ revealed in and through us—the hope of glory.

Beholding the One seated at the right hand of the Father enables us to administer His Kingdom from heaven to earth, both in prayer and in active service.

Beholding Him as the One whose eyes are like flames of fire allows the purging of all chaff. His feet refined by fire cause us to pause and examine our ways. The sword that proceeds from His mouth challenges us to guard our words and equips us to speak only His. His white hair speaks of eternity—He reigns forever and ever.

We desire to see and reveal Him, but transformation begins with…beholding

We would see Jesus

…“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

JOHN 12:21 ESV

Peter tells us that we are to hold an answer for everyone who asks about our hope (1 Peter 3:15). We live with this responsibility, knowing we must be ready to respond to such a request, as seen in today’s Scripture.

This verse suggests two foundational truths: first, every person needs to see Jesus; and second, since Jesus is no longer physically present on earth, we now bear the responsibility of reflecting Him faithfully to others.

These Greeks approached Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples, and asked to see Jesus. I find it particularly interesting that Philip went to Andrew, and together they went to tell Jesus. We aren’t told much more about this interaction, but we can learn that, as disciples, we have a responsibility to lead others to Jesus, and to do so, we must see Him rightly. 

From Scripture, we are continually reminded to look unto Jesus. Knowing that Jesus was first the Word and then the Word made flesh, we understand that we now “see” Him primarily through the words He spoke and the words written about Him.  We behold Him as we read Holy Scripture. We become what we behold. 

This makes Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 1 vital for us each day in our ongoing desire to see Jesus.  We ‘see’ through the eyes of revelation, birthed by His Spirit according to Ephesians 1:17, ‘The Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him’.  It is first and foremost a spiritual working in the heart of man to illuminate the soul.  

Jesus said in Matthew 6:22, ‘the eye is the lamp of the body, if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive] your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts].’ Amplified Translation. 

To consider Him in, and through every moment, is to accept that Jesus is everything we have need of at all times.  Jesus has been made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  To abide with Him is to experience the life He is within His Kingdom. We experience His righteousness, peace, and joy through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.  Isaiah prophesied, “Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights.”  We are to look upon and consider the One who endured the cross, became sin, defeated death, rose again, and is crowned and seated as Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.  

The Jesus we behold must become the Jesus others see—living and working through our lives—so that our words carry power and demonstration, drawing others into His family and fellowship within His Kingdom.

It is Written of Me

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

Hebrews 10:5-7 ESV

I’ve thought much about purpose over the past months and as we move into a New Year, I continue to be mindful of pressing into purpose. The Apostle Paul purposed to leave behind all things that could hinder pursuit of his upward call in Christ and so, we too, journey into this New Year with a press in our pursuit of His purposes. 

We see from our passage today the understanding we all must hold, found in the words of Jesus Christ.  Andrew Murray writes there are two necessary, foundational, principles found in The Word that we must embrace: ‘a body you have prepared for me’ and ‘I have come to do your will O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ 

Every day our lives hold purpose, and as long as we are drawing breathe there is opportunity to achieve it. As we live by the understanding that we have been bought with a price, and so are no longer our own, we can begin to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. (1 Cor. 6:19; Rms.12:1.)  Without this understanding we struggle to embrace the humility necessary to submit our will.  Yet it was Jesus’ willingness to present his body that provided us sanctification, (Hebrews 10:10).

We should all live with this same kind of press unto purpose.  Not our own spiritual ‘to do’ lists but those that we have discovered through the same process Jesus has shown us. When he declared “Behold I have come to do your will O God,” he found daily opportunity to be tempted into his own way and will.  His submission, in all ways, was in alignment with what had been written in the scroll of the book. This makes me mindful of the days that have been written for us, (Psalm 139:16). 

Jesus’ own words following the presentation of His body to submit to the will of our Father was His way of life.  His separation to this was seen in all of his acts of obedience.  We learn through his prayer, taught to his disciples, the preeminence of pursuing His will. We intimately see his agony of soul in the garden as he wrestles with his will.  

As we begin 2026 I realize again how important ‘presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), becomes, not only for the sake of others but the ordained good works of our life hanging on the willingness of our yielded obedience.  In the yielding to His purpose, we find His blessings.  

May it be said by all of us ~ You have given me a body to offer, look, I have come to do your will o God.  

Perfected Love

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us …’

1 John 3:16

We all understand the adage, "you can’t give what you don’t have.”  At times in our lives, I'm sure we have all struggled to know and believe the love God has for us. Our experiences in life are meant to lead us to the knowledge of His love, and to the acknowledgment of the work He has done making us accepted in the beloved. 

We know many things that we don’t believe.  Believing is generally about accepting something as true or real.  We can only learn and believe love by the actions of others.  

John's conclusion of our verse today reads, ’and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers…’  This isn’t intended to be gender-specific, but rather the concept of loving those within the family of God.  For God so loved the world….and we are commanded to love even as He has loved us. That goes beyond our natural family and environment.

When we hold to the world's culture, we are taught and encouraged to embrace the god of self.  The love we are told to know and learn is a self-sacrificing love that involves time, money, and effort.  This love we are learning is not self-seeking.  

 Greed is the essence of idolatry.  Excess of self is always seen through greed, if we accept the definition of greed as an intense, selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. It is in these natural appetites that we face the question of how laying down our lives affects us.     

We commonly think that hate is the opposite of love, but in reality, it is fear.  Hatred is something we wrap in an effort to protect ourselves.  Hatred is secondary to the primary response of fear.  It is only, I say again, it is only the love of God that has the ability to dispel fear and its torment.  

The Apostle John went on to write in His first epistle, 1 John 4:16,

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. 17: By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because a he is so also are we in this world. 18: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts our fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. He who fears has not been perfected* in love.

Perfected from Helps Word Study is teleios; to complete, i.e. (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character) -- consecrate, finish, fulfil, make) perfect. Cognate: 5048 teleióō – to consummate, reaching the end-stage, i.e., working through the entire process (stages) to reach the final phase (conclusion). [This root (tel-) means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]

It is the freedom from fear that eliminates our need to consider ourselves before obeying God.  

Concluding our scripture today, John writes a strong measurement followed by instruction in 1 John 3:17.

 If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.  

John went on to write in 1 John 4:19, ‘we shall know we are of the truth and our hearts are reassured before him,’ because we have the world's good and see the need and give into it with open heart and open hands, even as we are aware of what it will cost us.  

This is a perfected love.  In this perfection, especially in this season, let us endeavour to be someone's great experience of God's love. 

God is Love

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:8

We all recognize, especially in this season of Christmas giving, John 3:16 ~ 

“For God so loved that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

For so many, Christmas can be a very lonely time. Being separated from family and having no real relationships prompts people to isolate, even though isolation simply highlights aloneness.  The promise of the Father was to set the lonely in families, Ps . 68:6.  

God is first and foremost a Father who has adopted many sons and daughters.  While they all do not share the blood of common natural parents, they do share in something far greater when accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. 

God Almighty is the one who defines Fatherhood.  All creation takes its name and nature from Him as a Father.  Earthly man may have failed in their duty to represent Him faithfully, yet He remains faithful to His name and nature.  

God is love, and it is the intensity of His love that desires for all mankind to come into a saving knowledge of the gift He has given.  

Christmas gives us a wonderful season to let His light shine through us in ways that we may have neglected throughout the year.  The act of giving is highlighted in many ministries and community outreaches.  We see the need of man growing greater with each passing day. As believers, we know Jesus is the answer to man's heart condition, and our willingness to give of ourselves to the lives of others meets the natural needs that open hearts.

As we walk through this month, celebrating the wonders of our Father and all that Family has given to us, let us be mindful of all around us who may not be experiencing these things and be Jesus to them. 

“……For as He is so are we in this world…” 1 John 4:17

Come, Let Us Adore Him

Jesus said I am the Bread of life.  He who comes to me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst.”  

John 6:35 NASB

As we move into the Christmas season, our focus can be shifted from the original intent of our celebration.  We are tempted by much busyness, and the Christmas season offers many opportunities to increase it. Demands of others add to what we already demand of ourselves, creating the stress that makes the season not quite so enjoyable.  

We have this scripture today reminding us that Jesus is the Bread of Life.  As Christians, we celebrate Christmas with the understanding that the only things that give us the life we crave are found in Jesus. He alone satisfies. It’s not the stuff of this world that perishes with its use.  While we love giving, because it is more blessed to give than to receive, and have been blessed to be a blessing, we want to make sure that what we are giving is with much faith, hope, and love to those we are connected to.  We are always mindful that it is the eternal qualities that remain. 

The promise, to never hunger, is to the one who first comes to Jesus.  The promise to never thirst requires believing in Him and, by extension, His words.  John 6:36 Jesus went on to say, “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe me.”  Isn’t that the condition that afflicts many?  We see, we hear, but choose not to believe.  

Belief is the condition in which one generally accepts something as true or real.  Trust comes from experience, where we build confidence in the reliability, integrity, and ability of someone or something.  

Believing and trusting can never develop in our lives without responding to the invitation “come”.  Isaiah chapter 55 offered the same invitation: "Come."  To the one who was hungry and thirsty, Isaiah said, Come and buy, yet without money.  Meaning that coming still costs us something, just not money. 

The invite is always there, and the choice remains: will I pay the price to attend?

Demas Deserts

“For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”

2 Timothy 4:10

We find that Demas is mentioned three times in the New Testament, with commentaries agreeing that all three most likely refer to the same man.  Beyond Timothy, we find Demas as a travelling companion with Paul in ministry, noted in Col. 4:14, and the letter to Philemon notes Demas as a fellow worker.  

In Timothy, Paul indicates a past tense working of Demas’ love, i.e., ‘having loved’ as the explanation for his desertion.  While the word is commonly used to describe the love God has, we learn that Demas has first and foremost deserted this love for God, before he has deserted Paul.  

From Helps Word Studies in the Discovery Bible Software, we find the word deserted defined as ~ 1459 egkataleípō (from 1722/en, "in"; 2596/katá, "down"; and 3007/leípō, "to leave") – properly, left in a condition of lack ("without"); hence, to feel forsaken (helpless), like when left in dire circumstances. Jesus uses 1459/egkataleípō ("left forsaken") in His cry from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Paul’s letter to Timothy tells us why Demas has deserted him;   Demas preferred ‘the world and it’s ways above the way Paul taught in Jesus.  Guarding our hearts from a love and preference for anything other than our Father's will is a daily task.  

 ~ 

From Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 382). T. Nelson,~ 

“Love can be known only from the actions it prompts. It was an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself.”

Our affections are tempted. The Apostle James wrote in his letter that it is the desires of our flesh that open the door for our temptations, James 1:14.  Temptations are a good system check on what we are holding in our hearts and minds   Living in the world, surrounded and inundated with worldly thoughts and ways, we must choose to overcome by drawing near to God and resisting the devil.  

Desertion cannot occur without first leaving our first love.  The book of Revelation warns the church about their lukewarm love.  Repentance was required.  Our first commandment is to love God with all of our being: spirit, soul, mind, and strength.  Every part of man’s makeup is to be in love with our Father and His Son.  Jesus said If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  He reinforced this command to love by saying, ‘Love even as I have loved you.’ 

Demas preferred the world, in contrast to Moses’ choice for reproaches of Christ over the treasures of Egypt, Hebrews 11: 24-27.  Like Moses, we must make choices to leave one to embrace the other.  Jesus said, when it came to treasures of one's heart, you love one and hate the other…preference.  Mt. 6:19-24.

So, Demas ,‘having loved this present world,’ begs us to ask what it was he was so attracted to in this world that it cost his relationship with Paul?  We often believe the lie that we can separate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in the Lord and carry on in our love for God, but that’s a lie.  It’s the thing about deception; you can’t see it.  You think you are right with God, but in reality, there is no right with God without doing right with people.  You don’t forsake divine relationships without first forsaking the supreme one. 

Staying united with our Father in His love holds us tightly to a love for our brethren and assures us that we will not depart from either one.  

Futile Thinking

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”

Ephesians 4:17 ESV 

Today’s verse parallels Romans 1:18-24, with emphasis on verse 21, which reads; 

“For although they knew God they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

The Helps Word Studies from the Dictionary Bible gives us good insight into the condition and meaning of futile ~ 

Cognate: 3153 mataiótēs (a noun) – aimlessness because lacking purpose or any meaningful end; nonsense because transitory.    See 3152 (mátaios).

    3152 mátaios (an adjective, derived from 3155/mátēn, "without purpose or ground") – properly, aimless (vain), without purpose; (figuratively) without profit or basis – hence fleeting (transitory), ineffectual ("groundless").

    3152/mataios ("aimless") emphasizes the "absence of purpose or failure to attain any true purpose" (Moulton and Milligan).  3152 (mataios) refers to what is "vain, unreal, ineffectual, unproductive" (Souter).

1. 3152/mataios ("futile because aimless") is the opposite of what is intelligent.  It describes someone who builds their house on sand – "chasing the wind" ("pursuing one's own shadow") (so Gregory of Nyssa).  3152 (mataios) is used in the LXX to translate "vanity" in Ecclesiastes (Heb hebel) – i.e. what is empty (amounts to "zero") because it is not fruitful.

Reading in context with these two portions of scripture, Ephesians 4:17-32 and Romans 1:18-24, we learn about the lies that enter through the lusts one carries.  Hardness of heart ultimately produces impurities that lead to a wrong worship of our own vanities, instead of a worship of our Creator. What we worship, we serve.  What we serve, we worship. 

Ephesians describes it as the old self, which belongs to our former life (before Jesus), and describes it as corrupt through deceitful desires. 

The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, emphasizing that honouring God and giving Him thanks keeps one free from deception. Ephesians tells us we have been taught and learned Christ, as the truth is in Jesus, and must be renewed in the ‘spirit of our mind’.  There is a mindset we are to hold, ‘let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,’ Phil 2:5. 

The only one that has the power to change my mind is the Holy Spirit, illuminating the word. This always begins with a choice.  I must believe that the word is true and hold a desire to be taught the truth.  Falsehood, from Ephesians 4:25-32, begins a litany of the fruit that comes from futile thinking.  

You can then understand the verses from 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 ~ 

“If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case, the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

Any place of unbelief has the potential to lead us away from God, but a love for the truth will keep us in peace, holding a sound mind, Hebrews 3:12; Isaiah  26:3; 2 Timothy 1:7.

In a day where culture holds a value for 'every man doing right in his own eyes’, how much greater is the need for His church to be so rooted and grounded in His truth that they are able to boldly live and proclaim truth in the midst of hostilities.

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”

Identification

Galatians 2:20 KJV 

 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This important biblical concept is evident throughout much of the Apostle Paul’s writings.  At the heart of identification is the believer's understanding that they have been “grafted into” the work that Jesus accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. The believer at the new birth becomes positioned ‘in Christ’, and Christ is ‘in the believer’.

Without an understanding of this new identity in Christ, the believer is weak in their ability to live the abundant life Jesus has provided.  The knowledge that ‘we are made acceptable ‘in Christ’ is our foundation.  Ephesians chapter one begins our understanding of the ‘In Him’ realities and our need to identify with them. In Christ we become ‘as he is’ in this world, 1 John 4:17.

The concept of ‘identification with Jesus Christ’ refers to the believer’s spiritual union with Christ; sharing in His death, burial, resurrection, and new life. It means that what happened to Jesus in His redemptive work is counted by God as having happened to the believer as well.

Mankind, created in the image of God, [Gen. 1:26-27, John 4:24] is a three-part being: spirit, soul, and body, 1 Thess. 5:23; 3 John 2.  The beginning of identification occurs when we recognize our need for God and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Jesus explained the need for a ‘born again’ experience to Nicodemus in the Gospel of John, chapter 3:1-14.  

At the heart of identification is union with Christ — the believer is “in Christ,” and Christ is “in the believer.”  

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh….Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come, and all this is from God……’  2 Cor. 5:16-18

Today’s verse, Galatians 2:20, highlights our spiritual reality.  ‘I have been crucified with Christ.’  It is one of the mysteries the bible holds.  Physically, we know we have not been crucified with Christ. This is the condition of our inner man, the spirit of man who died to be born again. John 3:5-7.  We don’t need to fully understand, but we must believe and agree with the one who has decreed this new place we are to live from.  

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized in his death.  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.’  

Romans 6:3-4

The identification with Christ's death and burial declares His victory over the power of sin and death.  His victory becomes ours in Christ. Sin no longer has dominion over us. 

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again death no longer has dominion over him. ……So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Let not sin reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passion…present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.  For sin will have no dominion over you…’

Romans 6: 8-14