God’s Gifts Bring Provision

Luke 2:1-15

The story of the birth of Christ is probably the most famous story in the world. Celebrated as Christmas, this birthday marks the arrival of God in human flesh; bringing joy and peace on earth, and goodwill from God to man. As great as this story is, we sometimes miss the lengths to which God goes to provide hope and provision, not only to the world through the gift of Jesus, but even to Mary and Joseph in their hour of need.

The Magi, or Wise Men, that come to the birth of Jesus are a vital part of the story of Christ’s birth. Often misplaced at the manger, these men traveled the farthest to see the child, and were still on the road when the shepherds gathered around the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. It wasn’t until nearly two years later that they arrived, bearing gifts from the Far East. Luke 2:11 confirms that when they found Jesus, He was “in the house”, not the manger and that He was a “child”, not a baby.

Upon arrival in Palestine, the Wise Men (who could have numbered more than the traditional 3), went to the palace of Herod to inquire as to where they might find the boy. Herod knew nothing of the arrival of Jesus, but is instantly driven to jealousy at the prospect of a Jewish king. At the instruction of the scribes, Herod sends them to Bethlehem. Isn’t it interesting that the scribes knew when and where the Messiah was supposed to be born, yet they refuse to believe that Jesus is the one?

The Wise Men give the family of Jesus three gifts, all which attest to a different aspect of Christ’s purpose on earth: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold speaks of the royalty of Christ, identifying Him as King of kings. Frankincense was used in the sacrificial offerings, and thus spoke of the divinity of Christ, seeing Him as God worth worshipping. Myrrh was the original antiseptic of the ancient world, often used to bring relief to people in pain and to embalm the dead. This spoke of Jesus’ sufferings which He would take for all mankind.

Joseph and Mary were considered poor, even for that time. We know this because Luke tells us that when Mary brought the baby Jesus into the temple to be dedicated, she brought turtledoves or pigeons as her sacrificial offering. Leviticus 12 allowed this for the poorest of God’s people, while the wealthiest were to bring a bullock. The gifts of the Magi must have seemed like a fortune (as they probably were) to these humble people in Bethlehem.

God had a greater purpose in the arrival of the Magi than to show forth the three-fold aspects of Christ. When Herod learned of Jesus’ birth, he ordered all of the baby boys age 2 and under “in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof” to be slaughtered (Matthew 2:16). Jesus and His family need to be out of there, now that the attack is on to kill Him. Before the arrival of the Magi, there would have been no funds available to make a long journey into Egypt to escape the sword of wrath, but now they have a surplus of funds, making it possible.

Notice that God is not responding to Satan’s attack; but rather Satan is responding to God’s Plan. The Magi began their journey a full two years before Satan even figured out that Jesus was on the earth. Once the enemy made a move on Jesus, it was too late, as God had given provision for the journey of protection. When you see Satan rear his head in your life, rejoice! If Satan is moving, it is because he has just learned of God’s provision and grace that is on its way. Hallelujah!

Eating the Body Unworthily

1 Corinthians 11:27

When I was younger, I was afraid to partake in the communion ceremony until I had spent a considerable amount of time on the altar, “taking care of” any and all sinful deeds and thoughts that I had committed. I believed that if I put the bread in my mouth and drank of the cup without properly purging my heart of all sin then I would get sick or diseased, having dared to put God’s holiness in an unclean vessel. Due to this fear, communion didn’t represent anything lovely to me. In fact, I kind of wondered why we would even bother!

As God began to open up the revelation of His grace and favor to me, communion was one of the first things that took on a whole new meaning. If I was truly made the righteousness of God, independent of my works, then I was ALWAYS the righteousness of God, even when bad thoughts crossed my mind, or I did something wrong. If I am always righteous, then I am always qualified to partake of the body and the blood of Jesus through Holy Communion. Then what does Paul mean when he writes about eating and drinking “unworthily” (1 Corinthians 11:27).

The answer is found within the passage, but in two separate ways. The first way is the most obvious: Paul never says “unworthy”; he says “unworthily”. These are two different words with two entirely different meanings. To partake of communion “unworthy” would mean that we are not worthy to take in His body and blood because of our lifestyle. To partake of communion “unworthily” means that we are eating and drinking without knowing why.

The second way to find the answer is to read on just a bit further. Paul says in verse 29, “For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body”. The definition of “unworthily” is found in the last part of that verse: “not discerning the Lord’s body”. When we do not realize that Jesus bore our sicknesses and diseases in His body on the tree; and we do not know that we are eating into us His health and wholeness, then we are partaking “unworthily”.

This does not mean that God then puts cancer and disease on us to teach us a lesson. The “damnation” that we eat and drink to ourselves (verse 29) is what is already in the earth as a result of the curse. Anytime that you think that God is in the business of putting disease and pain onto people, just remember how many people that Jesus touched and GAVE leprosy to. NONE! Jesus was not in the business of taking men’s lives, but saving them.

The broken body of Jesus and His shed blood has been given to all believers through the finished work of the cross. The communion ceremony is ours, whenever we need it, to observe that broken body and shed blood. Just as Israel ate all of the lamb and there were none feeble among their tribes (Psalms 105:37), we have His body, broken for us (Mark 14:22). We have His blood as our justification (Romans 5:9) and it is the seal of the New Covenant. Partake of Holy Communion as often as you like, observing that Jesus bore your suffering so that you could bear His health.

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

John 13:23

My key text records the phrase, “One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved”. This is one of five instances in the book of John in which we hear of this “disciple whom Jesus loved”, and we find him only in this book. Consequently, the name of the apostle John never appears in this book, while we learn in the final chapter that the author is “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. This lets us know that John wrote the book and that he is that disciple whom Jesus loved.

It is interesting that Matthew, Mark and Luke just refer to John by his name, but John refers to himself with this title. Is this cocky on John’s part? Is it foolish? What are we to think of someone who refers to themselves in their own writings as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”? Did Jesus love John more than the other disciples? If so, does He love me more than you or vice versa?

The answer is that Jesus loves all of us the same, for “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). The difference for John was that he practiced a working knowledge of the Savior’s love for him. Rather than spend his time boasting of his love for Jesus; or working to love Jesus more, he learned to rest in Jesus’ love for him. Great things would occur in the life of John because of the knowledge that he was deeply loved. Let’s look at a few of the moments in which John calls himself, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”:

1. John 13:23 – Peter asks “one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” which disciple would betray Jesus. The text just told us that John was lying against Jesus’ bosom, so why does Peter ask John to ask Jesus, when Peter is nearly as close to Jesus as John? The only conclusion can be that Peter (who boasted of his love for Jesus rather than Jesus’ love for him) felt too distant from the Master for such an intimate question. Practice resting near Jesus’ heart of love for you and people will turn to you for answers, perceiving that you are close to Him.

2. John 19:26 – Standing at the cross next to the mother of Jesus is the one “whom He loved”. There are no other disciples waiting there, only the one who has an awareness of just how loved that he is. Equipped with this love, he is able to stand firm at the crucifixion while all of the others flee. He is also given the intimate task of watching over Mary, the mother of Jesus. A working knowledge that you are loved leads you to the ministry of the Lord.

3. John 21:20 – One of the final moments in the earthly ministry of Christ revolves around a revelation concerning the “disciple whom Jesus loved”. Peter asks what that disciple will do to which Jesus responds, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me” (John 21:22). This led to a rumor that John would not taste death, but would be alive when Jesus returned. This rumor was no doubt fueled by the fact that John lived to be over 100 years old and died of natural causes; long after the other disciples had met their martyrdom. The knowledge that he was beloved brought a revelation of long life to this special disciple. If it was good for him, why not for us?

When John wrote his little epistles (1, 2, 3 John), he filled them with the knowledge of God’s love for the believer. He has been rightfully called the Apostle of Love, for no other disciple seemed to grasp God’s love for mankind quite like the Apostle John. May each of us learn to see ourselves as the Christian whom Jesus loves; resting close to His heart; prepared to be used for ministry; and receiving fresh revelation of how to love life and see good days. You are more than just loved, you are beloved!

Wrong Doctrine; Right Heart

John 20:11-16

On Resurrection Morning, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb of Jesus weeping, for she saw that His tomb was empty and she did not know where He was. Her first assumption is the natural one: Jesus’ body had been stolen in the night and moved to another location. She was there to anoint His body in the Hebrew custom, and now she would have to go home without having accomplished her task.

In her state of trouble and fear, she seems unfazed at the two angels that speak to her from within the empty tomb; one seated at the head and one at the feet. Just like the cherubim’s that cover the Mercy Seat on the Ark, these two angels now sit at the place of God’s mercy and justice. With the tomb empty, Jesus is alive, meaning that He is now able to live in the hearts of all mankind. It may have been lost on Mary Magdalene, but may it not be lost on us!

Mary turns to leave the tomb and sees Jesus, though she “knew not that it was Jesus” (John 19:14), supposing Him to be the garden keeper (verse 15). In His glorified state, Jesus obviously had a different look about Him, though it becomes obvious that He retains the same physical qualities that He had while on this earth (John 20:27). They hold a brief conversation, within which we learn an important lesson into the heart of God.

“Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” (John 20:15) is the question that Jesus poses to Mary. She doesn’t recognize Him and answers, “Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (John 20:15). It had become common knowledge that Jesus had been buried in a borrowed tomb, so the assumption might have been that the gardener had come and removed the body so that it could be buried in a family tomb, now that the Jewish feast of Passover was finished. Her response shows that she has no suspicion that Jesus has resurrected, but rather that He is still dead in another location.

Notice that Mary does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. She walked with Him and talked with Him, but she still has problems with her doctrine. In spite of the obvious flaw in her faith, Jesus reveals Himself to her by saying her name, “Mary” (John 20:16). There was something about the way that He said her name that made her heart leap with joy. The intimate sound of Jesus whispering your name will still warm the heart of even the coldest sinner. There is nothing like knowing Jesus, except perhaps the revelation that He knows you!

With this serious doctrinal flaw (not believing in the resurrection), surely Jesus would not give a revelation of His love, right? We are often taught that if there is a problem in your doctrine that God will not bless you. In fact, I used to hear it preached by men that I greatly respected (and still do respect), that “God will not bless error”. They meant that if your doctrine is wrong, your blessings are limited. According to that teaching, Jesus should have just answered “Sorry mam, I haven’t taken Him anywhere”. It would have been an answer perfectly acceptable to Mary based upon her question. Thank God that Jesus sees past our doctrinal flaws and peers all the way into our hearts!

You may not have it all figured out today (join the club!), but you can rest assured that Jesus knows your heart, even when your doctrine falters. He will give you a revelation of His love by saying your name when He sees that your heart is hungry for more of Him. Seek Him and you will find Him, even when you are seeking in the wrong places.

High Priest and Husband

John 19:23-27

Let’s look at two things that are recorded in John’s gospel regarding Christ’s final moments on the cross. Both of these happenings lend to Christ’s role as head of the church. On one hand, Jesus is the High Priest of the church, serving as the mediator between the saint and the Father, just as Aaron was the liaison between the people and God. On the other hand, Jesus is the husband with the church serving as the Bride of Christ. He calls Himself our Husband (Isaiah 54:5), and He loves us as a Heavenly Husband (Ephesians 5:23).

Christ can take upon Himself no role or title that was not paid for at Calvary, thus if He is our High Priest and our Husband, He must have paid for those positions with His own body and blood on the tree. The Apostle John gives us unique insight into both of those payments as he records the soldiers gambling for Jesus’ garments near the foot of the cross and Jesus’ own mother standing nearby the cross next to the author. These back-to-back stories are the details of Jesus’ payment to be our High Priest and our Husband.

The 4 soldiers that put Jesus on the cross are bored with the dying criminals and the carpenter. They turn their attention to games of chance, dividing his clothes among themselves as souvenirs before turning to His outer garment. The garment that Jesus wore was seamless having been woven from the top down. This was the same type of garment that was worn by the high priest of Israel and it was considered quite valuable. When the soldiers spotted its quality, they decided to cast lots for it (equivalent to drawing straws, or “paper, rock, scissors”) to determine who would keep it.

They were unaware (and unconcerned) that they were helping fulfill scripture by casting lots for Jesus’ garments (Psalms 22:18). They also could not have known that the garment that they were gambling for was essential to the high priesthood of Israel. If the seamless garment of the high priest was torn then he could not perform the morning or the evening sacrifice until he had a new garment made. Without coincidence, the high priest Caiaphas had torn his just hours earlier when he accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). By leaving the outer garment of Jesus untorn, these soldiers were unwittingly qualifying Jesus to be the new high priest. What is Jesus first act as new high priest? He takes care of the morning sacrifice (He goes on the cross at 9 a.m.) and He takes care of the evening sacrifice (He dies at 3 p.m.).

Mary, mother of Jesus, stood by the cross near some more acquaintances of Jesus, including the disciple whom Jesus loved (John). Jesus speaks directly to Mary when He says, “Woman, behold thy son!” (John 19:26), and then He turns to John and declares, “Behold thy mother!” (19:27). God had given specific instructions concerning marriage when He said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). With the Father having already turned His back on His Son, Jesus must now be rid of the responsibility of His mother. Once He has placed her in the care of John, He is free to “cleave unto His wife”, with His wife being the church. Jesus has now paid to be our Husband!

Let the glorious knowledge that Jesus went to such lengths to be your High Priest before God and that He is your loving Husband right now. You are dead to your first husband (the Law), “by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead” (Romans 7:4).

Remember Me

Luke 23:39-45

The cry of the criminal on the cross marks the simplest and most complete version of a sinner’s prayer found anywhere in the annals of human literature. No more words are needed when coupled with a heart of faith. From the lips of a fallen and failed creation to the ears of the Son of God, “Remember me” stands as man’s highest form of prayer and the gateway into the glories of everlasting life.

It seems strange that a moment as complex and well orchestrated as the cross, would be brought to its climax by a brief statement from a common criminal. Hanging between two thieves, Jesus suffers the scorn of man and the wrath of His Father, while for a moment He endured the mocking of those very thieves themselves (Mark 15:32). But Christ’s refusal to defend Himself or to return fire to those who were reviling Him must have had a profound effect on one of these dying men.

While one criminal continues the barrage against Jesus, the other has a convicted conscience, asking his fellow criminal, “Do you not fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation?” (Luke 23:40). What a powerful question! While hanging on a cross dying for crimes committed, shouldn’t one be thinking of the after-life and whether or not they are ready to face God? These men were obviously Jews, since they have a working knowledge of condemnation and the fear of God (also, they wouldn’t be Roman citizens since Rome never crucified their own). Whatever led them down the road to destruction has brought them to this place, where not only they but all men must make a decision about the crucified Christ.

“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward for our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41). This criminal cannot possibly realize the importance of what he has just said, but in a nutshell, he just gave the New Covenant. We are all guilty of sin and we deserve to die. Jesus lived a sin-free life and did not deserve to die. Instead of forcing us to pay-up for our own sins, Jesus was made to be our sin so that we could be made to be His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The criminal has just confessed that Jesus is Lord and he is about to believe in his heart (Romans 10:9, 10).

“And he said unto Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom’” (Luke 23:42). The same Spirit that caused David to appeal to covenant when standing before Goliath causes the criminal on the cross to appeal to the New Covenant at Calvary. David fought Goliath with the knowledge that Goliath was “uncircumcised” meaning that Goliath had no Covenant promise on his side. The criminal says, “Remember me”, meaning, “Remember why you died here, for poor, guilty criminals like me”. When that criminal, or all of us criminals for that matter, appeal to the purpose of the cross, we are admitting our hopelessness and accepting Christ as our substitute. We are placing faith in a perfect, finished work, allowing Christ’s blood to wash away our sins.

Every person who has ever cried out to Jesus for redemption from sins has said, in so many words, “Remember me!” It is the cry of the lost world, and it still moves the heart of a God who remains stirred by sacrifice of His Son. Just as Jesus said to that man, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), He says the same to you and I. We are in a paradise of His love and favor right now, all because we once cried out, “Remember me!”

Don’t Boast of Your Love for Him

Mark 14:66-72

It is a dangerous thing to place your confidence in your love and affection for Christ. I have been in the church all of my life, and I have seen my fair share of people who testify with gusto about how much they plan on doing for the Lord and how much that they love Him, only to rarely ever see that person inside of a church again. Our love goes up and down like a roller-coaster. One day we are high on love and we speak flowery words about our Jesus. Other days, we hardly feel saved at all.

It is always better to rest confidently in the Savior’s love for us. In fact, we don’t even know what love is without a revelation of God’s love for us. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The disciple Peter was well known for speaking up when he probably should have held his tongue. He was quick to say what he thought and he was never slow to action (see him walking on water or cutting off the soldier’s ear). On the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter spoke up during a meeting between Jesus and His disciples, proclaiming, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (Mark 14:29). Who do you suppose the “all” that He is speaking of might be? Of course the “all” were the other disciples! Peter is saying, “You guys may forsake Jesus in His hour of need but I won’t. None of you love Him like I do”.

Jesus responded that Peter would deny the Lord three times before the rooster crowed twice. In other words, before that very night was over, Peter would have made a complete denial of His Lord. This caused Peter to answer “more vehemently” (Mark 14:31). Jesus’ statement to Peter was an insult to Peter’s acclaimed love and devotion to Jesus. Jesus knew better, knowing that Peter was incapable of taking the stand that he thought that his love had prepared him for. Our love for Jesus is never as powerful as Jesus’ love for us.

Where does this passionate outburst of religious fervor take Peter? We find him standing outside the hall where Jesus is being condemned, warming himself near a fire (Mark 14:66, 67). He is approached by a maid of the high priest who recognizes him as a follower, after Peter denies that he knows the Lord, another maid does the same thing. Finally, the crowd turns on him, shouting at him that he too was with Jesus. Peter curses and promises that he does not know Jesus. Suddenly the rooster crows for a second time and Peter’s heart breaks. His fervor and devotion were just not enough.

It is easy for us to boast of our love for the Lord, but it is a bit more difficult to boast of His love for us. The reason for this is that we boast when we feel up emotionally. Then, when things don’t go so well, it is easy to believe that part of the reason that things aren’t going well is that we have done something wrong and that God is trying to teach us a lesson. This causes us to believe that His love for us has conditions and that we should be careful about boasting about it too much. Rest assured in the knowledge that His love for you is constant and never fluctuates, even when you do.

Catch yourself boasting of how much you love the Lord. Don’t feel condemned, just change your mentality! Every time you find yourself dwelling on how much you love Him just flip it around and wonder with a sense of awe at how much He must be loving you. Revelation of that kind of love will have you warming your heart next to the flames of His love rather than warming your hands near the fire of your own affection.

No Relief for Jesus; All Relief for You

Matthew 27:34, 48

When Jesus hung at Calvary, He did so as the substitute for all of the sinners in the world, you and I included. He took the wrath of the Father so that we would be spared God’s anger. Thank God that Jesus was a worthy vessel in which God could pour out His holy justice.

We are well aware that just before He cried, “It is finished”, Jesus received vinegar and drank it (John 19:30). The word ‘vinegar’ is “sour wine”, fulfilling God’s prophecy of Jeremiah 31:29 in which He promised that the time would come that men would no longer have the right to say, “The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”. When Jesus drank the sour wine, He did it so that your teeth would never be set on edge. Jesus freed you from the sins of your fathers!

With that event in mind, we find that Jesus’ drinking of the vinegar just before His death was not the first time that He was offered something to drink at the cross. Matthew’s gospel records both instances in which the soldiers offered Jesus vinegar; once on the ground at the foot of the cross, and once while hanging on the cross. The one in which He accepts is found in Matthew 27:48 where we see them giving Him vinegar to drink followed by His crying with a loud voice (verse 50). Though the text does not say that He drank, we know that according to John 19 that He did, and the crying out with a loud voice was Him crying, “It is finished”.

The first offer came earlier in that same chapter, just after Jesus’ arrival at Golgotha. The beating put on Him by the soldiers of Pontius Pilate, followed by the carrying of His own cross must have had a heavy effect on the soldiers assigned to the actual crucifixion. They saw this bloody mass of a man approach the hill and they felt an uncommon compassion on Him. “They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall” (Matthew 27:34). The Greek word for ‘gall’ is often “myrrh” which was often used to bring comfort or relief. The soldiers had mingled some myrrh with the vinegar to provide Jesus with a bit of relief in His state of pain.

“And when He had tasted, He would not drink” (Matthew 27:34). Notice that when Jesus tastes what they have done to the vinegar, He refuses to drink. You can almost see this moment of Jesus spitting the vinegar out, refusing to put any comfort or medicine into His body. Jesus took no relief from the pains of the cross so that He could fully bear the brunt of all that was supposed to happen to us. In short, Jesus took no relief so that you could take all relief!

When you think of Jesus hanging on the cross at Calvary, don’t think of how pitiful that you are in light of how much that He did for you. Instead, think of how punished that Jesus was so that you could always go free. See the sacrifice of Christ as a finished work; one in which Jesus drank the cup of judgment and wrath so that you could drink from the free flowing blessings of heaven. Drink up saint, for you are henceforth and forever free!

The Gospels

The word “gospel” means “good news”, thus the term “the gospels” speaks of the “good news” of the arrival of Jesus Christ. Each gospel contains a different biographical glimpse of the Son of God, with different angles here and there to give us a thorough picture of His life and death and resurrection. The fact that these 4 books contain differences should only lend to their authenticity, for who would believe them if they said the exact same thing, and why would we need 4 of them?

Each gospel has a purpose and a theme, and each one presents Jesus in a slightly different way. These 4 different looks comprise the 4 faces of Jesus, with each one corresponding to the “four beasts full of eyes” found in heaven in Revelation 4:6. There is also a corresponding color with each gospel, represented by the four colors of the tabernacle curtains, hanging on four pillars: linen (white), blue, purple and scarlet (Exodus 26:1). Jesus’ life gives substance to the shadow of the tabernacle.

Let’s look at each gospel and see some fascinating types of our Lord Jesus:

Matthew – Jesus is presented as King of the Jews, which is why His Sermon on the Mount appears only here, as it dealt with the very law that the Jews strived so hard to keep. A King needs a genealogy, thus one is included, showing us that Jesus belongs on the throne of Israel through the bloodline of king’s David and Solomon through His earthly father Joseph. He is here seen as the Lion with the color being purple, the color of royalty.

Mark – Jesus is the Ox, colored red just like the sacrificial red heifer of the Old Testament (Numbers 19), and as an ox, He is presented as Servant in Mark. A servant has no need of a genealogy so this gospel does not include one. Servants are also to be seen but not heard, which is why there is much activity by Jesus but not much commentary in this book. There are also very few things in Mark that do not appear in another gospel, for there is to be nothing extraordinary about a servant. This representation is obviously very special to the heart of the Savior as He is found still wearing a golden apron until this hour in heaven, ever the servant at heart (Revelation 1:13).

Luke – Jesus is the Son of Man, with that phrase appearing in this book more than any other. Luke deals more with the humanity of Jesus, thus the corresponding face of a Man in Revelation 4:7. The virgin birth is given in detail and a full genealogy is recorded, as any human would have done. This time the bloodline runs through his mother, showing us that he is royalty (a descendent of David) on both sides of the family. He is represented as the color blue in this book, as that is perfect divinity.

John – Jesus as God. From the very beginning, John is different, showing Jesus as being one with the Father. God has no genealogy so John does not give one and God is perfectly unique from man, thus every chapter of John contains something that is found in no other gospel. As God is above all that is on earth, the Eagle soars in the heavens with the color white representing God’s perfect purity.

These are four snap-shots of one life, each showing us another face of Jesus. He was the veil of the tabernacle, and His life is a perfect picture of that. The author of Hebrews said that we go through the veil to get to God, “that is to say, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). Go through the gospels to see Jesus and you are “going through His flesh”. It is a wonderful journey no matter how many times you take it.

Loose Him, and Let Him Go!

John 11:44

Have you ever considered that Jesus could have brought Lazarus from the grace without the grave clothes? When Jesus came out of the grave on Resurrection Morning, His clothes were folded neatly in the Garden Tomb. Lazarus had no need of the grave clothes any longer, for he was no longer dead, so what is the significance of bringing him from the grave as if he is ready for the grave?

Jesus told those present to “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44), which gives a mandate to the church for all time. For every new convert that comes out of the grave of sin and death, we have a responsibility to pull the grave clothes off of them a little bit at a time. They are covered over in a lifetime of works and self-righteousness, in which they have constantly tried to justify themselves and their actions. Having accepted Christ as their Savior, they have been miraculously transferred from the depths of the grave of sin to the top step of salvation, and they are now ready to begin their “walk” with the Lord.

With their spiritual bodies wrapped in grave clothes, their walk is going to resemble more of a waddle than anything else. All of our righteousness’ are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), so the habit of working for their blessings and earning their grace must come to an end. The church holds that blessed responsibility of reinforcing covenant and washing off the new convert on a daily basis. When we remind them that they are the righteousness of God in Christ and that they have been perfected forever because He has sanctified them (Hebrews 10:14), we are pulling one more layer of the grave clothes off of them. This covenant reinforcement helps them to see Jesus clearly and allow His righteousness to live through them.

The first command of Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb was for the stone to be rolled away from the door. It was necessary to roll the stone away for Lazarus was going to come out in a fleshly body, not a glorified one, thus he needs the obstacle removed. The stone represents the Law, which must be removed as an obstacle if one is going to walk forward in Christ. At the cross, Jesus took the Law that was contrary to us and against us and He nailed it to His cross, moving it out of our way (Colossians 2:14).

It is important to note that the stone was not removed until Lazarus was alive. Jesus prays aloud “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me” (John 11:41). Notice that He says, “has heard” meaning that He has already petitioned the Father to raise Lazarus and it is a done deal. Calling Him forth in verse 43 is merely a formality, for he is already alive. We must not remove the Law from the grave of the dead man because they simply stink. However, the moment that life enters into them upon confession of faith, the stone must be rolled away!

Earlier in this book, Jesus watched as men dropped their rocks one at a time in response to His statement, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Only if you hold the Law in perfection do you have the right to throw its condemnation at another person. Since none of us have ever lived the Law in its fullness then we must drop our rocks of condemnation as well. You must decide what type of person that you will be today, a stone thrower or a stone roller. Get busy saint, there isn’t much time.