In the previous post, God’s P.H.D. was defined as the Word of God.
How so?
The Word of God is His Prophetic. Historical. Document.
The written Word of God reveals the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity.
Jesus is the Word of God.
The Apostle John introduces this truth as he begins the Gospel of John.
John 1:1-5, 14, NKJV, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend* it. *(comprehend = overcome) [marginal note]
Vs. 14, “And the Word became flesh, dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Just prior to the end of the John’s Gospel, he writes, (John 20:26-31, NKJV), about Christ appearing to His disciples, when Thomas is present (see John 20:19-25 for context.). It says, ...”And after eight days, His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand over here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, ” Thomas, because You have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but those are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Luke’s Gospel records an encounter between the risen Christ and two of His despondent disciples on the road to Emmaus the day that Jesus was raised from the dead. (Context is Luke 24:13-22)
During their journey together, Jesus observing their countenance and hearing their words inquired of them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? (Luke 24:17, NKJV)
Jesus says to them. (Luke 24:25-27 NKJV)
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (emphasis mine)
Jesus didn’t just show up; bring understanding to the Scriptures about Himself; and then cut out.
Jesus continued walking with them; it became late; it was time to eat; they asked Him to dine with them; and the scripture says, “And He went in to stay with them.” (Luke 24:28b, NKJV)
In this place of quiet hospitality, the following takes place.
Luke 24:30-32 NKJV.
“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us.” “
In Matthew 5:17-20 NKJV, Jesus is teaching a large multitude. This discourse is commonly referred to as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’.
He is very transparent about His coming regarding the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore, breaks one of these least of these commandments, and teaches men to do so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (emphasis of the word ‘all‘ is mine)
What is the importance of understanding the scriptures being referenced?
God’s P.H.D. is the written Word of God that has revealed to us God’s purpose that was in His heart before the foundation of the world.
The written Word of God is the Father’s, Prophetic. Historical. Document. authenticating the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity.
God’s P.H.D. chronicles the Life of Christ, Jesus-Son of God/Son of Man, who was born of a virgin, incarnated in a human body, perfectly fulfilling His Father’s P.H.D. as recorded in the written Word of God about Him; and His completion of His Father’s will, ‘orderly and ‘obediently’, without sinning. (See Philippians 1:1-2:11 for context) [emphasis mine]
Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV, says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The conclusion of this passage of scripture, emphatically states, “…that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (emphasis mine)
Jesus hanging on the cross said ‘final words’.
In each of the four Gospels, the writers have different ‘final words’ recorded: Luke 23:46; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; John 19:30.
Each Gospel writer is emphasizing a specific redemptive aspect of Christ, dying on the cross.
There is a chronological order given to the ‘last seven utterances’ of Christ on the cross.
For the purposes of this post, I want to reflect upon the Apostle John’s entry in John 19:30 NKJV, “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His Spirit.”
The commentary in The MacArthur Study Bible, page 1625, about verse 30 says, ““It is finished!” The verb here carries the idea of fulfilling one’s task in religious contexts, has the idea of fulfilling one’s religious obligations (see 7:4). The entire work of redemption had been brought to a completion. The single Gr. word here (translated “it is finished”) has been found in the papyri being placed on receipts for taxes meaning “paid in full” (See Colossians 3:13-14).”
Reading this verse in context, John 19:28-30, NKJV, it says, “After this (see John 19:25-27), Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there, and they filled a sponge with sour sine, put it on hyssop;, and put it to His mouth. so when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Jesus knew that everything that was written about Himself in the Law and the Prophets up to this moment hanging on the cross was completely fulfilled, i.e.-(vs 28) that …”the Scripture might be fulfilled”.
Now what?
Hebrew 1:1-5, NKJV, “God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who is the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
What is that excellent Name?
Jesus Christ is Lord.
[Do you remember the chorus? He is Lord, He is Lord…]
Acts 2:36 NKJV, Peter on the Day of Pentecost, stood and preached
Christ, and said, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Repeating Philippians 2:11, NKJV, “Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.”
[Do you remember the song, Majesty, composed by Jack Hayford? His song encapsulates and clearly declares all that is being shared about the Lord Jesus Christ. (emphasis mine)]
[I would like to encourage you to read several of the previous posts regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. Please refer to livingwordsofencouragement.com. I recommend that you begin with Pentecost-50 Days After Passover Part 1, read that; and the next four posts up to this current post.]
The Church, the Body of Christ, and each individual believer needs to understand that the cross made a major change between God and humanity. The cross completely cancelled out the first covenant and established a new covenant through the body and blood of the Son of God.
God’s relationship to humanity has changed; but God, Himself, did not change.
God’s relationship with humanity through the first covenant is no longer existent. God’s relationship with humanity is now through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is the Gospel.
Malachi 3:6 NKJV, says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change”…
I am not minimizing the Gospel. (I Corinthians 15:1-58 context; see vs. 1-11 )
I am not forgetting that Jesus is the Son of God, the perfect sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world. (Hebrews 10:11-14)
I am not forgetting John the Baptist’s crying, our “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
I am not forgetting that Jesus’ death on the cross completely satisfied the wrath of God against sin. God, Himself, was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. (Romans 5:9)
I am not forgetting that He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am not forgetting that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:32)
I am not forgetting the words of John 3:16-18 NKJV, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
What is the Spirit of God saying to the Church today?
It is time to expand our understanding.
How so?
Remember the first covenant is no longer needed.
In the Upper Room, the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, Jesus was celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus instituted what the Church observes as Communion. (See Mark 26:26-28; Luke 22:11-20; Mark 14:22-25; John 13:21-30)
Jesus said that what He was doing was establishing a new covenant through His blood. (See Hebrews 8:1-10:18)
The Epistle to the Hebrews is an explanation of Father’s Prophetic. Historical. Document comparing the ministry of first covenant under Moses to the ministry of a better covenant governed by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body of Christ,the Church, and the King of the Kingdom of God. (emphasis mine)
The glory of the first covenant ‘pales’ in comparison to the GLORY of the second covenant established in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Understanding this truth is absolutely essential to move forward with God.
The understanding that lies before us is to ‘know and understand’ what this will look like?
Where is the Lord Jesus Christ now?
Mark 16:19 NKJV, says, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.”
1 Peter 3-22, NKJV, says, “…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is all the right hand of God…” (context 1 Peter 3:18-22)
Knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God, we must focus our attention on where Christ is seated. (Colossians 3:1-4)
In full assurance of this fact, we can now seek to understand the Lord Jesus Christ’s P.H.D. which He fulfilled here on earth as the Son of God/Son of Man in human flesh.
Understanding the Lord Jesus Christ’s P.H.D. will awaken us and challenge us to move ahead with God, the Father, as He orchestrates the fulfillment of the desire of His heart that He purposed before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1)
Be blessed, a brother in Christ, Deo
TBC
Living Words of Encouragement 