| (Copyright 05-10-24) by Warren Zehrung (Little Rock, Arkansas) |
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| First Day of Unleavened Bread (Sermon Notes) Offertory In His last remaining hours on earth, Jesus taught vital lessons that tied together so much of what He had taught His disciples in the previous three and a half years. Jesus gives us the crucial lesson of the Vine and the branches. We learn that we must remain connected to Jesus by an inseparable Lifeline so that we can produce much spiritual fruit which in turn will Glorify our Father (John 15:8). Interestingly, Jesus teaches us that there is more than one way to give Glory to God. Letting our light shine also gives Glory to the Father and thereby we fulfill the prophecy and goal of becoming eternal lights shining in the firmament. Jesus said: Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and Glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. In the same way that at creation Jesus spread out the physical stars across the universe, the spiritual Saints are destined to shine forth as do the stars in the brightness of the firmament of the New Heaven. We Christians are ordained to actually shine as Godly lights in the eternal Kingdom of God. Daniel 12:3 They that be wise [the people of God] shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness [shall shine] as the stars for ever and ever. The Plan of God is that the Saints shall shine forever giving Glory to God. This spiritual connection to God pictured by the Vine and the branches, is of supreme importance to our salvation. Being truly unleavened comes from the continuing relationship with God that Passover and Unleavened Bread symbolize. Jesus said: John 15:5 I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I abide in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. When we remain connected to Jesus, we bring forth much fruit, and we abide in the love of God. The spiritual sap that flows from the Vine symbolizes the eternal, sustaining life of Christ that is available to us. When we bring forth much fruit, we give Glory to the Father. Jesus expounds further: He says that we bring forth much fruit when we keep His commandments—specifically the commandment to love one another—and therein the Father is Glorified. We’ve just observed Passover and now we come to the First Day of Unleavened Bread. We will be looking at one last vital lesson that Jesus Christ gave to us on that last night with His disciples. That lesson is this: We are to stay fastened and connected to Him – as He is attached and joined to us. Not only does Jesus want us to appreciate the fact that He dwells in us, as we learned when He said, “This is my Body, take and eat, Jesus wants us to greatly value the ever continuous contact we enjoy with Him from that time onward (Exodus 29:45-46, Revelation 21:3). The title of today’s sermon on this First Day of Unleavened Bread is “Lifeline.” In John Chapter 15, Jesus doubles down, not only on the concept of dwelling together, but on the necessity of remaining connected and bound together at all times by way of our Lifeline. Jesus put it his way: John 15:5 I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abide in me, and I abide in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. I could have called this sermon, “The Vine and the Branches,” but people could have easily dismissed the subject, thinking, “I’ve heard all about The Vine Branches—there is nothing there for me.” They would say: The Fruit of the Vine “Oh, the Fruit of the Vine – we know what that represents – the wine – Oh, the blood of Christ.” But brethren, we’ll see in today’s sermon that Jesus is going to say something more to us about the fruit of the Vine that is so crucial to our lives and understanding. That should whet our appetites. When Jesus led into His subject of “The Vine and the Branches,” He was leading into something really big. You might say that He was saving the Best for Last – right at the end of His life! Perhaps, I might be able to shed a little light on the subject that you may not have considered. There is a little pun here that will come to light as we look into God’s word today. Let me give you a definition of a Lifeline: It is a rope used for life-saving; typically, one thrown to rescue someone who is slipping away in the ocean, or for saving a person who has stumbled over a mountain cliff. A lifeline is a line which provides a crucial connection so that they may be able to survive. A lifeline is like a rope that is used in mountain climbing to help prevent potentially fatal accidents. Specific Purpose Statement: In today’s sermon, we will be looking at some of the points Jesus was driving home to His disciples as His public ministry was coming to an end. And we’ll answer the question of how Christians are able to Glorify the Father by bearing much fruit? Following their last Passover meal together in John Chapters 13, 14, and 15, Jesus gave His disciples some deep spiritual lessons. Jesus had been utilizing a lot of analogies and metaphors to aid His disciples in understanding the deeper spiritual meaning of His life and purpose. Jesus emphasizes to us the concept of how He dwells in us, and we in Him. We just observed Passover where Jesus made “dwelling” a major theme. We know that Jesus is the bread of life – we ate it at the Passover service – Jesus now lives in us. John 6:53-56 Then Jesus said unto them, Truly, Truly, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him. The great overall truth that Jesus provides is the concept of dwelling together – and not only with Jesus but dwelling with the Father also (John 14:23). In John 15, Jesus re-emphasizes the vital need for us to always remain in this connection of dwelling in one another, where He dwells in us, and we dwell in Him. Jesus tells us how this reality of dwelling will be accomplished, and we will see that it is through the utility of God’s Spirit (John 14:26, 15:26) For the purposes of today’s sermon, let’s recognize our Lifeline to Jesus Christ as an unbreakable safety tether, like the one that attaches an astronaut, on a spacewalk, to his spacecraft. You never cut loose from it – or you would be lost in space. Or better yet, for the purposes of today’s sermon, let’s think of our lifeline as an umbilical cord which allows for the transfer to an infant of a life giving supply of oxygen and nutrients. Vine and Branches analogy falls immediately after John 13 and 14 and Passover – Jesus turns to another analogy with the Vine and Branches. Unless Jesus Christ is in us, and we are connected to Him and His Life’s energy, how can the Light of Christ shine in us? Jesus used a similar analogy right after His last Passover when, He told His disciples, “Stay connected to me, and I will remain tied to you. A branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the Grape Vine; so neither can you bear fruit unless you continue to be linked to me.” (Paraphrased John 15:4) Jesus is saying that He is the Divine Lifeline Vine. Jesus gives us the meaning of this connection—and it is for bringing forth much fruit. And just so the lesson is not lost on us, Jesus begins to tell us what is required of us. There is a progression that Jesus is showing us here, and it is this: When we remain connected to Jesus we bring forth much fruit, and we abide in the love of God. When we bring forth much fruit, we give Glory to the Father. Jesus expounds further: He says that we bring forth much fruit when we keep His commandments (1John 2:5), specifically the commandment to love one another—and therein the Father is Glorified: John 15:8-10 Herein is my Father Glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. We bear much fruit and dwell in the Father’s love when we keep Christ’s command to love one another. Jesus said: John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. This brotherly love command is repeated in many, many places, for example: 1Thessaloninas 4:9 As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. Brethren, do not overlook this most important point that Jesus made: John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; That is how important it is to remain in contact with and bound to Jesus and the Father through this Lifeline that Jesus provides for us—we give Glory to God! Jesus says in: Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shalt glorify me. What an incredible concept that we as Christians can bring Glory to God who is King all Glorious! Music, King all Glorious https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Hf2cF_cn4 Lyrics: Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore! Mortals, give thanks, give thanks and sing, And triumph evermore. The Lord is King! Rejoice! The Lord is King! Jesus the Savior reigns, The God of truth and love: When He had purged, had purged our stain, He took His seat above. Lift up your heart! Lift up your voice! The Lord is King! King all glorious, Lord of Hosts almighty, Thou art revealed in victory, O’er all the world ascended, King all glorious! King all glorious! Thou art revealed in victory. Jesus the Savior reigns, Your Lord and King adore. Hail ye the Lord and King! Hail ye the Lord and King! Jesus the Savior reigns, Your King adore. Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore! Mortals, give thanks, give thanks and sing, And triumph evermore. The Lord is King! Rejoice! The Lord is King! King all glorious, O’er all the world ascended, Thou art revealed in victory. King all glorious, Lord of Hosts almighty! Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne, Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own: Awake, my soul and sing Of Him who died for thee, And hail Him as thy chosen King Through all eternity. Amen. End Offertory: Sermon: Lifeline In the culture of Jesus’ day, everybody grew up knowing a lot about work in a vineyard. Grapevines were everywhere and the work of vine dressing was a year-round endeavor. Planting, pruning, picking, harvesting, pressing… John 15:1 I am the true Vine, and my Father is the husbandman. There are two analogies there: John 15:2 Every branch in me that bears not fruit He [the Father] taketh away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Fruit grows only on new branches. Fruit develops as a result of God’s correction (or trimming)—experience cleansing (15:2). John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (Acts 22:16 …baptized, and wash away thy sins, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5) We are to live in Jesus Christ – and He lives in us – it works both ways. He lives in us by His Spirit in us. Life – mind – words… How do we live in Him? Answer: We stay connected to Christ so that God’s Spirit can flow through our veins. Like the grape branch must be nourished and fed the sap by the trunk Vine. We live in God when we keep His Commandments – and they change us to be like Him – that is how we live in His Love – that is how we dwell in His Love. We are converted, because of what God has done in us. And we continue to grow spiritually – only when He lives in us and we live in Him. Jesus uses “Abide / Dwell” three times in vs:4 alone. John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide [continue living] in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide [connected as a babe to its mother by its umbilical cord] in me. What is the purpose of abiding in Jesus? Jesus is telling us that we must be connected to Him, joined to Him, attached to Him if we are going to bear fruit. Again, we see John 15:5 John 15:5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. In examining ourselves coming up to Passover, we asked ourselves, “What use am I to God and His people?” Much fruit represents good works and godly living. Unless we are tabernacling in Christ and Christ is tabernacling in us, we cannot bring forth any fruit. We are of no use to God. John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. And just so the lesson is not lost on us, Jesus begins to tell us what is required of us. We come to a pivotal verse that we are going to build on: (John 15:8) John 15:8 Herein is my Father Glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. [Wow – we can do that!!! Glorify God] Not only is it an incredible concept, that we as Christians on earth can bring Glory to God now, but as resurrected Saints we will shine forever more! Matthew 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Paul echoes this Ephesians 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [dwell in my Love – exist in my love] Dwell is twice in 10. John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall dwell in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Jesus said: John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained / appointed us to this task, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. We stay connected to Christ’s lifeline when we love one another. How do we love one another? By staying connected to Christ’s Lifeline, and we throw the Lifeline to everyone in need. We wrap that Lifeline around us so that we cannot be separated from Him. What do we do while connected to Jesus? We remain instant in thought, study, meditation, and prayer. John’s Chapter 15 teaches us that in our minds and hearts we must always be bound in the presence of Jesus Christ and God the Father… We are to become light as Jesus is Light. That Messianic Prophecy, in Isaiah, about Jesus Christ coming as the “Great Light” was well known – and so Matthew picks up on it right away in the New Testament. John 8:12 Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” We let our light shine – sounds oh so simple. But we need to see what Jesus means by, “Light.” The entire Gospel message is huge and magnificent! But it can be summarized in one word, light! And God’s Light must become our Light. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. God’s first recorded words: Genesis 1:3 God said, Let there be light: What are the first words of Jesus in the Bible? Implicit in that prophecy to, Let there be light, is the sure expectation and projection that the Saints will also let their light shine—in the same way that Jesus prophesied that He would be the spiritual Light that would come into the world. What is the first command of Jesus in the Scriptures? Light exposes that which is hidden in darkness; it shows things as they really are. Christians cannot sit idly by and watch other brethren continue in darkness, knowing that those who are in the darkness of sin are destined for death. We are our brother’s keeper! Without getting too far ahead of the story, we need to understand God’s self-revelation—and that is the fact that God is spiritual radiant light. 1John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1John 1:7 But if we live, conduct ourselves with great dignity in conformity with the precepts of God in the light, as He [Jesus] is altogether the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, came to dispel the darkness and impart His Godly wisdom everywhere. We all know that God created the sun and put it in the heaven. Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. Wow! It went from Darkness to Light. Brethren, we know when we put on our spiritual eyes that prophecy is often dual in nature. That means that the Scriptures often have more than one meaning. Duality is a major teaching tool employed in the Bible and used by Jesus. In today’s sermon we will see that some of the prophets, and some of the apostles Paul, John, and Matthew and Isaiah in the OT… and others realized that when God said, “Let there be light,” He was not only talking about visible light, the Sun, but He was prophesying the coming of the Messiah! These are the first prophetic words of God in the Bible Genesis 3:15 as “the Bible’s first prophecy”: “Let there be light,” those are the first words spoken by Jesus in the Bible. A lot of people think that Jesus was speaking about our Sun – but He wasn’t. Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Brethren, be on your toes here, because, interestingly, Sunshine didn’t come until four days later in creation! That is our first hint that, Let there be light, means something more than what first meets the eye. It is prophetic, and it means more than Jesus coming as the Messiah. Follow me closely as we take a trip back to the Beginning—those were the first words of Jesus Christ. Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of the stars by the breath of His mouth. Psalm 33:9 [Jesus] spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 147:4 He determines the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Job 9:8 [God] alone stretches out the [stars] of the heavens. First prophecy here: Let there be light, and it is for us today – Jesus was speaking of the entire Plan of God – Darkness to Light in which, speaking of you and me brethren, He would bring many sons and daughters to glory (Hebrews 2:10), as God is glorious. By the time we come to the end of the Bible in Revelation, we find again that Jesus is Light: Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. That is the spiritual meaning of Let there be light – Jesus was prophesying of us also. By extension – and this is what Jesus was thinking when He said these words, “Let there be light in us – so that we too may shine.” Paul reminds us we are “lights in the world”; it is God’s will that we shine “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.” Bring Forth Fruit What is the fruit that we must produce to be in God’s good stead? How to Stay Connected 1John 3:24 And he that keeps His commandments dwells in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us. We stay connected to Christ’s Lifeline When we let our light shine (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus tells us the purpose of this ongoing connection to Him, and it is for the aim of bringing forth much fruit. What an incredible concept, that we as Christians can bring Glory to God. We are told in 2Corinthians 4:4 that God has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. But it does shine unto us. The apostle Paul adds a spiritual component to the connection to Christ’s theme: 2Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God shone in the face of Christ. What is Paul referring to when he says here, “the Light to shine out of darkness?” In 2Corinthians 4:6Paul’s words express more than his grasp of the Hebrew, for by linking “Let there be light” with the light of Christ shines in the minds and hearts of those the Father calls, the apostle demonstrates that God’s ancient command prophesied of the nature and scope of God’s work through Christ with mankind over the span of Church history. The theme of Our Glorifying the Father brings us to the very beginning of the Bible. Paul realized that God’s Genesis 1:3 command, “Let there be Light,” spoken by Jesus on the first day of creation of the physical world, was in the future tense; it speaks to God’s ongoing spiritual work with man. After the creation of the angelic host, the first physical creation of Jesus was the intensely concentrated hot physical light plasma, “Let there be Light,” containing all the energy that was released into stellar and galactic nuclear reactions as it spread in every direction at the speed of light, only to begin to condense into the components of the elements of the firmament like our Sun on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14). That was Jesus’ first act of physical creation – to flash out dense light that became the entire universe—visible and invisible. When you think about it, fleshly human beings are made up of stardust – that has cooled and become the elements of our earth. But spiritually speaking that Light would be Jesus Christ at His coming (John 1:4). But it is being revealed to us, the saints, in these verses that we are to also be light—in a spiritual sense. Implicit in that prophecy of Jesus in Genesis 1:3 to, “Let there be light,” is the dual projection that the Saints would also let their light shine—in the same way that Jesus prophesied that He would be the spiritual Light that would come into the world. Brethren, do not let that fulfilment of prophecy go over your heads. Jesus says, “your light.” The Saints are to let their light shine. So, we find that we Glorify our Father when we bring forth much fruit, AND when we let our light shine. It is important that we make that connection. Remember why Jesus said that we were to let our light shine? Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and Glorify your Father which is in heaven. In today’s sermon we have seen how it is that the Saints give forth their light and shine forever as the stars in the heavens. In the same way that Jesus spread out the physical stars all across space at creation, the spiritual Saints are destined to eternally shine as the brightness of the firmament in the New Heaven (Revelation 21:1). We Christians are destined to actually become Godly lights as spirit beings in the eternal Kingdom of God. Daniel 12:3 They that be wise [God’s people] shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness [will shine] as the stars for ever and ever. Here in Daniel, Jesus quoted Himself as when He said, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43). Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of the stars by the breath of His mouth. We become light, following Jesus’ example – John 8:12 John 8:12 Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Brethren, our life’s duty is to shine as lights in the world just as Jesus did. God’s called out brethren know and understand the words of truth in 2Samuel 22:29 where we see that Jesus is the One who enlightens our darkness so that together we might serve as the light of the world. 1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation… that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: Enlightening this darkened world is a responsibility and command that Jesus Christ has appointed His followers to perform. Speaking directly to us, Jesus says, “Let your light so shine,” and it is not an optional suggestion but a command to us for the purpose of glorifying our Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Brethren, we are not simply observers to the fact that Jesus is Light — which He is. But we have been called into this exact same mission — Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Paul recognized this brilliant reality: 1Thessalonians 5:5 You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Paul reiterates this Truth that we are to Let our light so shine before this present crooked and perverse generation. Paul adds that God the Father is a part of the equation—making it possible for us to truly follow in Christ’s footsteps of Letting our light shine in this corrupt world in which we live, and thereby glorifying God the Father. Christ says the light is “your light.” Jesus could have said “My light,” but He didn’t. Yet, if we were to cut the Lifeline connecting us to Christ’s energy, our light would go out. We as the sons of God must remain closely joined and bound to God – as God is to us. Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Only 5 days before His last Passover, Jesus, speaking of Himself, confers the exact same task of enlightening the world to us: John 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the Light with you. Walk while ye have the Light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes. John 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the Light [Jesus Himself], that ye may be the children of light. God refers to His elect as “the children of light.” Jesus calls us the children of light: Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And Paul reiterates: Ephesians 5:8-9 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: Live as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Jesus is not thinking of Muscadine Grapes when He says that we are to: Bear much fruit (John 15:8). Not grapes but representing Jesus in our every thought and action. But somehow, we came to know—almost instinctively—that “works of darkness” were evil things, and “letting our light shine” was a good thing. John 1:4-5 In Him [Jesus] was life; and the life was the light of men. And the Light shown in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. At creation, that brilliant light shone out of the chaos of tohu, bohu and chôshek – darkness. What does it mean that Jesus shines in darkness? Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. “Jesus shines in darkness,” is a metaphor that means He is the summation of all wisdom, truth, goodness, understanding, honesty, knowledge, righteousness, joy, and… enlightenment, life, light, and salvation. As much as it is in us brethren, that is to be our life’s mission as well, “letting our light shine”. John 12:35 Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while is the Light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come on you: for he that walks in darkness knows not where he goes. Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore He said, Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. That light that Christ gives us must be shared – it is a salvational matter. “Light,” in the Bible can be a metaphor for life, happiness, righteousness, or understanding. Specifically, for this sermon, Light is first of all, Jesus Christ, and then the Saints who will give Glory to God forever more. God is perfect spiritual enlightenment. Colossians 1:27. Paul wrote it, and it goes, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Please notice that we are not told that God is a light but that He is light. God is radiant spiritual light. God’s Law is also light: Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Our goal is witnessing to the world – in a right and proper and balanced way – witnessing to everyone that we meet. Just as Jesus said to Paul: Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. We all know that Jesus said, “Let there be light.” Where do we find the SPS of the entire Bible? The Specific Purpose Statement that tells what the entire book of Scriptures is all about? The answer is in, “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3 — a Prophetic reference to Messiah’s coming to us – And we becoming light as Jesus is Light. Paul and John knew it! Jesus is that Light. Definition of physical light at creation = daylight, and sunlight, but there is a spiritual meaning also. Of course, Genesis 1:3 – speaking of light – is speaking of physical illumination – which is only a temporary type of a much greater spiritual meaning in God’s scheme of things which is the pure enlightenment of God – Himself. The analogy of light and darkness indicates the contrast between the greater things of God, and the empty void of Godlessness. God uses the light and darkness symbolism for the purpose of making known His much deeper plan—His spiritual kingdom that we need to comprehend more fully. We help bridge that gap between ourselves and others when we let our light shine. Isaiah 2:5, “O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.” [only place in the OT.] To walk in the light means to repent of sin, examine our hearts’ motivation, to know God, understand the truth, and live in righteousness. John 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. The Scriptures tell us unequivocally that God is Life, He is Law, He is Love and He is Light. [1John 1:2, 1John 4:8, 16, 1John 5:3, 1John 1:5] 1John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1John 2:6) In John 15, Jesus does not mix metaphors, but if He did, we would find that the root underneath the vine is faith. We have to believe that Jesus is Life, Light, Law, and Love and that His will is good, that His word is good, and that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the Life. John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” Isaiah was also inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to write this MP, Messianic Prophecy about Jesus Christ coming as the “Great Light.” Isaiah 9:2 “The people that walked in darkness have seen a Great Light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.” (Matthew 4:16) We have seen how it is that the Saints give forth their light and shine forever as the stars in the heavens. Brethren let’s not assume that from the beginning the prophecies of light and stars only apply to the physical creation. The prophecies of light apply to Jesus Christ, who then applies them to us when He said, “Let your light shine.” 1John 2:10 He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. Brethren, that is where we must be — abiding in the Light. Jesus is that Light in which we are to dwell continuously. Yes, in Genesis 1:3 Jesus created physical light – the source of all that is in the universe — but Jesus Christ Himself is the spiritual fulfillment of that first prophecy in the Bible, and by extension, the Saints are the Children of light. That prophesied creation of light will continue until there are billions of glorified sons and daughters (Hebrews 2:10) – the resurrected Saints – each one distinguished from Jesus Christ and from the Father of lights (James 1:17) as separate beings, yet each one indistinguishable from Him in terms of character and Godly purpose — all together in the eternal Family of God. The Plan of God is that the Saints who remain linked to Jesus shall shine forever giving Glory to God. ———————————————————————————————————- See Warren Zehrung’s other articles at: Zehrung, Warren – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Sabbath Church of God http://childrenofgod.net/ ———————————————————————————————————- |
| Iron Sharpening Iron In regard to: Lifeline Article by Warren Zehrung Comments by Laura Lee (Bismarck, North Dakota) |
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| In this article the author makes the following two comments: Following their last Passover meal together in John Chapters 13, 14, and 15, Jesus gave His disciples some deep spiritual lessons. Jesus used a similar analogy right after His last Passover when, He told His disciples… The meal that Christ ate with His disciples before he was crucified was a meal, it was not the Passover. Joh 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Joh 19:14 And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! In John 19:13 it clearly says the day Jesus was hanging on the stake was the preparation for the Passover. So the meal He ate before he was crucified was not a Passover Meal because the Passover did not take place until after Christ was crucified and in the tomb. Eze 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. In Eze. 45:21 it clearly shows that Passover was a Feast of seven days where unleavened bread was to be eaten. Also if you study the Exodus Passover you will see that the lambs were killed between the two evenings on Nisan 14. Between the two evenings is from noon to sunset on the latter part of each day. The lambs were then eaten after sunset on the 15th of Nisan. |
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