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| Volume 20 Number 3 March 2018 | Page 15 |
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| Volume 20 Number 3 March 2018 | Page 15 |
Raymond Elliott
There He was, God the Son, incarnate in human flesh, nailed to Calvary’s cross. Jesus Christ was dying for all of mankind “by the grace of God” (Hebrews 2:9). He had been hanging on that rugged cross almost six hours. While He was on the cross He spoke seven times. Of the seven sayings of Jesus Christ, the shortest was, “I thirst” (John 19:28). Surely His words indicated the intense suffering He was enduring on that “tree” (Acts 10:39; Galatians 3:13). A Roman soldier gave Him a mixture of sour wine (wine that had passed its time and had turned into vinegar) and well water.
Our Lord Jesus Christ created the “waters” in the beginning (Genesis 1), and yet, there he was saying, “I thirst.” He also created the trees, from which wood was used to make the cross on which He hung as He was suspended between heaven and earth. Also, He had created the material for the hammer or mallet being used by the Roman soldier to drive the nails into His hands and feet, as well as the spear used by the Roman soldier that pierced His side. Even the soldier was a descendant of the man and woman who God formed/made in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2). Jesus Christ could have called down “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to rescue Him from that cross, “but He died alone for you and me.”
You may ask, “How was Jesus involved in the creation of the heavens and the earth?” In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In the Hebrew language, “God” is from “Elohim,” which is a noun that is masculine and plural. Now observe what is written in Genesis 1:26-27. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness…’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
In the New Testament, we learn that God the Son was truly involved in the creation of the heavens and the earth and all things therein. The apostle John declared this truth in John 1:1-3. “In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos], 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 verse 14 we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The apostle John bore witness of this great truth. The eternal Word (Logos) was incarnate in human flesh, and His name was called “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21).
The apostle Paul plainly taught that God the Son (Jesus) was involved in the creation. “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:15-17).
The writer of the Book of Hebrews in 1:1-4 speaks of God the Father’s evaluation of His Son.
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 being 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.
We can truly say that God the Father was the Architect or Designer of the heavens and of the earth; God the Son (Jesus Christ) executed His plan, and God the Holy Spirit was the finisher.
He is the Alpha and Omega,
the Beginning and the End.
The Son of God, King of Kings,
Messiah, Jehovah, The Prince of Peace, is He.
Son of Man, Seed of Abraham,
Second Person in the Trinity
(from the song, “Alpha and Omega,”
Lyrics by Robbie Trice)
A Lesson from Jeremiah 37–39
David Conley
The king of Babylon, Nebuchadrezzar (also spelled Nebuchadnezzar in other texts) was making plans to attack Jerusalem. Since Babylon was the world’s superpower of the day, this was of great concern to the residents of Jerusalem. The king in Jerusalem at that time was Zedekiah. Zedekiah had been very disobedient to God. God sent the Babylonians to Jerusalem as punishment for his disobedience.
Zedekiah was very concerned about the intelligence reports that he had received. Babylon was indeed preparing a mass attack on his city. He did the wisest thing that he could do. He called Jeremiah and asked him to pray to God for the country. This was a very smart move! Most people would have called for the generals and colonels to ask them for a battle plan!
Unfortunately, Jeremiah had bad news for Zedekiah. God intended for the Babylonians to punish Jerusalem for its sins. The answer to Zedekiah’s prayer was to surrender to the Babylonians! Zedekiah had received the answer to his prayer, but it was not the answer he wanted! Since it was not the answer for which he was hoping, should he obey?
Instead of obeying the Lord (which he was not in the habit of doing), he allowed Jeremiah to be thrown into the dungeon by the rulers of the city. After Jeremiah had been in jail for a long while, Zedekiah called for him and asked him again, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is: for, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” Jeremiah told him the truth once again. Zedekiah treated Jeremiah a little better for a while, but later allowed the city rulers to put him in another dungeon where Jeremiah sank in the mire!
Jeremiah was about to die in this horrible place when one of Zedekiah’s eunuchs begged him to get Jeremiah out of there. Zedekiah, once again, removed Jeremiah from prison and asked him if there was word from God. Jeremiah told him once again that if he refused to surrender to the Babylonians that he would be punished, and the city would be burned!
Zedekiah did not obey. Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city, killed Zedekiah’s children before his eyes and then put out his eyes! Then the city was burned, just like God said it would be!
Do we only obey God when it suits us? Have you received the answer to your prayers but are unwilling to obey? Shouldn’t we obey God in all things?