By Jim Calkins
Luke 24:26
(Jesus said) "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things to enter his glory."
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When Cain attacked and killed Abel in Genesis 4, God could hear Abel's blood crying out to him from the ground. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that blood was for atonement. When the Israelites put the blood of a lamb on the sides and tops of their doorframes for Passover, the blood spoke atonement over their homes and their firstborns were spared from death. In Hebrews 12, it mentions how the blood of Jesus spoke a better word than the blood of Abel. What word does his blood speak?
The sprinkling of blood sealed both of God's covenants. After Pontius Pilate washed his hands and stated he was innocent of Jesus' blood, the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and our children."( Matt. 27:24-25) This was a prophetic statement of the sprinkled blood of Jesus that would speak atonement over mankind. Jesus' blood spoke on the cross. It still speaks today to those who hear and accept the forgiveness offered by the shedding of his blood. The word spoken by the blood has never changed. Can you hear it's message? "Your sin has been atoned for."
To live a life pleasing to God, we must live by faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please him for those who come to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him." (Heb 11:6) But what does it mean to live by faith? Faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In order for us to live by faith, we must believe and hope in the unseen. If the substance of our lives consist of only those things that we can see, touch, hear and taste, then we are not living by faith. If we are not living by faith, then we are not pleasing God. To live by faith, we must be driven by the unseen realm of the Spirit.
Faith is our heavenly Father's language. It is the language of the Spirit. Those who are not led by the Spirit do not understand it's dialect. But those who are spiritually minded understand and speak the language of faith fluently. Faith is the language that God understands and responds to. If we are to communicate with God, we must speak his language. For God responds to faith, not to need or even desire. The great men and women of God listed in Hebrews 11 understood this. In fact, they lived and died by it
Only by yielding to God's Spirit can holiness can be perfected in us. If we do not give the Holy Spirit reign over our lives, then holiness can not be perfected. For the Holy Spirit can only make us holy if we yield our lives to his control. He will never force his will upon us. If we refuse to build a temple suitable for his habitation by not yielding to his control, then we are rebelling against God and bringing God's judgment upon ourselves. God warns us that we are his temple and his Spirit lives in us. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. (1 Cor 3:16-17) When we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, the seed of God was placed in us. We have a responsibility to nuture this seed so that it will grow and produce a harvest in our lives.
Without holiness, no one will see the Lord The word see in the Greek has several meanings, one of which means to gaze with wide open eyes as at something remarkable. When God's holiness is revealed on the Day of the Lord, holiness will finally be completed in God's people. At that moment, fire will consume the enemies of God. This same fire will purify and glorify the children of God. Let us not be found with those who shrink back and are destroyed, but rather with those who believe and are saved. (Hebrews 10:39) Hebrews 10:26-27 says , " If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." Only by yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit can his work of holiness be perfected in us.
John 17:3 says, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Accepting Christ as our Saviour is the first step in coming to know him. If you meet someone on the street, you have made their acquaintance. However, this doesn't mean that you know them. Building a relationship takes time. In the same way, accepting Christ into your life as your Saviour does not mean that you know him. For us to know him, we must spend time with him. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Only by spending time with him will we know him and come to know his will for our lives. We come to know the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Now we know the Father and the Son in part. When Jesus returns on the Day of the Lord, we shall know them fully, even as we are fully known. (1 Cor 13:12)
God wants all of your life. Only by yielding your life to God can the Holy Spirit conform you into the image of Christ. For Jesus Christ is not alive in your life unless he is Lord of your life. If you accept him as Saviour but deny his Lordship, He can not transform you into his image. For our God is a consuming fire who wants to consume everthing in us that is not of him. For Him to truly be Lord of our lives, we must do as He commands. Otherwise, we are building a house on a foundation that is doomed to collapse. (Luke 6:46-49)
For Jesus to be Lord in your heart, he must be first in your life. For God created us to be worshippers. If we refuse to worship Him and make him Lord, we will bow down to worship something else. Money, sex and power are just a few of the idols that we worshipped in place of God. This is the essence of idolatry: worshipping created things instead of the Creator. On the Day of the Lord, God's wrath will be revealed from heaven against all those who chose to worship idols rather than the Creator. We become like what we worship. Only by worshipping God will we become like him.
Paul was a devout Pharisee and student of the scriptures. Still, until his conversion on the road to Damascus, he actually imprisoned and oversaw the murder of disciples of Christ. How could someone so thoroughly versed in the scriptures miss it? Because Paul did not understand the workings of the Spirit. In Acts 9:17, we see scales fell from Paul's eyes when he was filled with the Spirit. These scales represent the traditions and doctrines of men that had kept him blinded to the realm of the Spirit. Just as Paul fell captive to the enemy without the Spirit's filling, we can fall captive to spirits of religion and tradition when we refuse to humble ourselves before the Lord and be continually filled with the Spirit. Without a time of daily refreshing with our heavenly Father, we are in danger of becoming like the hypocrite who wears a mask of religion in church but has no real intimacy with the Father. We deceive ourselves, mistaking religion for a relationship with our Heavenly Father. We also deceive those around us. For those who come in contact with us never smell the true fragrance of Christ that would emanate from a yielded life.
Jesus was exalted by his Father because he humbled himself and was obedient to death. Religion teaches that Jesus was exalted because he was the Son of God. However, this is contrary to what the scripture says.
Hebrews 2:9-11
9 But we see Jesus, who was a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering
11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers
Jesus was crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, not because he was the Son of God. (verse 9) In verse 10 we see the author of our salvation was made perfect through his suffering.
Religion teaches that God heard Jesus' prayers because he was the Son of God. However, if we examine Hebrews 5, we see a different reason.
Hebrews 5:7-10
7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered
9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek
Jesus' prayers were heard because of his reverent submission. He learned obedience from his sufferings. Who was the one who could save him from death? It was God, of course. You may ask, "but if Jesus was the Son of God, why did he have to be saved from death?" Because when Jesus came to earth as a man, he gave up any special privileges he had as God's son. He had no guarantee of being saved from death by resurrection. Religion teaches that Jesus was resurrected because he was the Son of God. Read Hebrews 5:7 and you will see that Jesus was resurrected (saved from death) because of his obedience to the Father. His obedience through suffering brought about resurrection. For Christ had to become just like us to make atonement for our sins.
Imagine giving up the glory and majesty of Heaven to come to earth and be born in a barn, or giving up your privileges as the Son of God to become a carpenter's son. Because Jesus did not consider equality with God as attainable, he took on the very nature of a servant.
Philippians 2: 5-11
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Again, Jesus had to become a man to save mankind. He did not come to help the angels, but Abraham's descendants, the heirs of the promise. If Jesus had conquered death as the Son of God, it would have accomplished nothing for us. However, if he conquered death as a man, it would open the doorway for Abraham's descendants to follow. Just as death came through the man Adam, so life had to come through the man Jesus. God chose Jesus to come to earth as a man, not as the Son of God.
Jesus had no one to share his sufferings with while on the earth. The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings." Jesus' disciples offered Jesus no fellowship in his sufferings because they did not share in them.
Luke 22:39-46
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation."
41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
46 "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them, "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
As you read these verses you can see Jesus' submission to the Father, his humility toward the Father and his humanity. Look at verse 42. Jesus' human nature did not want him to go to the cross. He was praying for the Father to accomplish his will some other way. While Jesus prayed passionately his disciples slept. They did not understand the sufferings of obedience. The disciples also slept at the Transfiguration. One of the reasons the Transfiguration took place was so Jesus could have fellowship in his sufferings. Moses had seen the glory of God and Elijah was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind. They had both been glorified with the Father. They were sent to encourage Jesus to finish the race and complete the course the Father had given him. They had shared in the sufferings of obedience so they could offer Jesus fellowship in his sufferings.
Luke 9:28-36
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up into a mountain to pray.
29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning
30 Two men, Moses and Elijah,
31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with them
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."
36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
When God established a covenant with Abraham, he knew Jesus would have to be sacrificed to fulfill his promise. In the book of Genesis, we can see a foreshadowing of God's plan of fulfilling the covenant. Genesis 14:18 speaks of Melchizedek, priest of God Most High blessing Abraham. Melchizedek brought bread and wine, symbolic of the body and the blood of Jesus. Jesus explained how these were symbols of the new covenant during the Last Supper (Luke 22:17-20). God established the priesthood of Melchizedek expressly for the redemption of mankind and made Jesus a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek. God told Abraham to circumcise all men in his household as a sign of the covenant between them. Circumcision involved the cutting of flesh and blood, again symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus. Every time a Hebrew was circumcised, God was reminded of his covenant with Abraham, which meant the inevitable sacrifice of his Son. God was bound by his promise to Abraham to fulfill the covenant. Several chapters later, God tested the covenant. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to him as a burnt offering. This was a test of the covenant between God and Abraham. Would God have sacrificed his Son for mankind if Abraham had not been willing to offer his son's life to God?
If we are to share in God's glory, we must first share in his sufferings. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me." Those who try to save their lives will lose it. Those who give their lives will find it. If we are not willing to daily take up our cross and follow Christ, we reveal by our actions that we are ashamed of God. These will be the ones that Jesus will be ashamed of when he returns. We must follow the example given by Jesus: a daily walk of self denial, submission and humility before God. With God, we can not be lukewarm, only hot or cold. We must choose each day who we will serve. If we spend quality time with our heavenly Father, we will be led by the Holy Spirit. If we spend no time in his word or prayer, we will walk carnally. Remember, it is impossible in our carnal nature to please God. Our time spent daily with God is the cornerstone of everything we wish to accomplish for the kingdom. Without this time of separation with God, our best efforts will still be carnal and worldly in origin, accomplishing nothing eternal. The world and its desires pass away, but he who does the will of God will live forever. To share in Christ's sufferings, we must walk as Jesus walked.
One day while I was rocking my daughter Megan to sleep, I dozed off in my chair. Right before I woke up, I saw a picture of a rainbow in my mind. Usually, I forget my dreams after I wake up. But this picture was especially vivid. As I pondered whether this could be from God or not, I searched my Bible software for rainbow references. I read how John and Ezekiel had seen rainbows when they had their heavenly visions. I read how the cherubim had a "terrible crystal" over their heads described as a sheet of ice. John and Ezekiel had seen a rainbow around God when they spoke to them. I researched rainbows and discovered that rainbows are a reflection of light through glass or water. The visions that John and Ezekiel had of God were a reflection of God! God's glory was diffused through the crystal over the cherubim! As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, "Now we see through a glass darkly but then we shall see face to face." Hallelujah! The cherubim are there to protect us from seeing God's glory in its fullness! That is why they have eyes all over them and they move around following the Spirit of God. When Jesus returns for his bride, God's glory will be fully revealed. Until that time, we will only see God's glory "through a glass darkly."
John 17:4-5
4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began
Jesus brought glory to the Father by his obedience in accomplishing the works the Father had called him to do. If Jesus had not been obedient, he would not have brought glory to the Father or completed the Father's work. Jesus lost all the glory he had with the Father when he came to earth. Through Jesus' sufferings and obedience to the work the Father called him to do, Jesus received a measure of glory on earth. When Jesus prays in John 17:1-5 for the Father to glorify him, he is actually praying for his resurrection. The glory of God is the resurrection (John 11:40). In John 17:4-5, Jesus is actually saying , "God I have brought glory to you by doing your will, so restore the glory I had with you before the world began and resurrect me." Before Jesus was resurrected, only the Father had resurrection power. When Jesus resurrected Lazarus in John 11:41-42, he thanked the Father for hearing him because Jesus had no power to resurrect on his own. It was the glory of the Father that raised Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus said he was the Resurrection, he was speaking in faith of his own resurrection. For he would not become the Resurrection and Life until after God had raised him from the dead.
Paul saw Jesus' glory on the road to Damascus. Until that time, Paul had been consumed with imprisoning and murdering disciples of the faith. He witnessed and gave approval to the stoning of Stephen and was a primary persecutor of the church in Jerusalem. Paul was a very learned man and studied the Law and the Prophets diligently. While on his way to arrest Christians in Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground. His companions did not see the light, they only heard Jesus' voice. Paul's reaction to Jesus' glory was one of fear and shame. What will be our reaction when God's glory is revealed on the Day of the Lord?
Paul was blinded by the glory of Jesus. During his blindness he fasted. He accepted Christ as his Savior during this time. Then, he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17) and also baptized (Acts 9:18) after he regained his sight. Paul immediately began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. He had seen Jesus' glory and this experience produced a complete turn around in his life. Here we see the glory of Jesus produce resurrection. During the time he was blind, Paul's former ministry died. Three days later when his eyes were opened, Jesus ministry through Paul was raised to life. Paul later wrote in 2nd Corinthians, "the letter of the law kills but the Spirit gives life." He learned this on the road to Damascus.
In Genesis 1, we see God did not create the primary light (the sun) until the fourth day. So how was there morning and evening on the first three days? I believe Jesus was the light that shone on the first three mornings, for in Revelations 22:16 we see that Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star. This was part of the glory that Jesus had with the Father before the world was created. (John 17:24) Zechariah prophesied of Jesus' glory as the morning star when he said, "The rising sun will come to us from heaven." (Luke 1:78) The Bethlehem Star that guided the wise men to the birth place of Jesus was a sign of the former glory Jesus had in heaven before coming to earth as a man. The heavens now proclaim his glory as our risen Saviour! "Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge." (Psalm 19:2) On the Day of the Lord, Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star will rise in our hearts. (2 Peter 1:19)
When you buy a new home, a deposit is usually required to show good faith toward the future completion of the purchase. In the same way, God has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance to come. What does this deposit guarantee? From Ephesians 1:14, we see it guarantees our inheritance until we our redeemed. From 2 Corinthians 1:22, we see it is a seal that guarantees that which is to come. But what is that which is to come? When Jesus returns, all who are His we will be glorified with Him. Like jars of clay, our earthly bodies will be broken and the treasure contained within revealed. Our mortal bodies, like empty shells, will be cast aside and we will be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, new bodies that are immortal and imperishable. The Spirit of Christ in us is the deposit guaranteeing this inheritance. He is the hope of the glory to be revealed in us! Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Scriptures hidden for thousands of years are now being revealed in these end times. In Daniel 12, Daniel was told a prophecy concerning the resurrection of the dead. Daniel was told to close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. This scroll in Daniel 12 has been unsealed. In fact, the Holy Spirit is revealing more scripture in these end times than at any other time in history. The Revealer of Mysteries is unsealing scripture about His Glory and the Resurrection so every born again believer will understand what is to occur as Jesus' return draws near. For such a time as this, God has been preparing us. We must tell the world about the love of Jesus and shine forth his glory spreading the fragrance of Christ everywhere we go. "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3). The Glory of our Resurrection will be based on our work done for God. Those who have been wise and about their Father's business will shine on that day! Those that have saved many will shine like the stars for ever and ever. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
God said to Moses , "You can not see my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 33:20) When we see God's glory face to face on the Day of the Lord, our carnal selves will die instantly and the Resurrection will occur. Ezekiel fell face down when he saw just a reflection of the glory of God. Each time the Spirit had to enable him to stand. (Ezekiel 1:28, 2:2, 3:24) This is an example of how it will be when the Lord returns. The Spirit of God inside born again believers will enable us to stand when God's glory is revealed. The Spirit in us will cry "Abba , Father" and we will finally be adopted as Sons of God at the moment our bodies our redeemed (Romans 8:15,23). All creation is groaning in anticipation of this moment. (Romans 8:19-21) And we, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons. Ezekiel fell face down at just the reflection of the glory of God. Who will stand when he appears? Those that the Spirit enables.
When God's glory is revealed on the Day of the Lord, only our labor done for the Lord will matter. All our possessions, how much money we make and what kind of car we drive will mean nothing on that day. Men will throw their idols of worship into caves. (Isaiah 2:20). Our inner selves will be laid bare before the Lord. We will be totally exposed by the brilliance of the glory of the Lord. Many will be ashamed on that day. There will no where to hide when who we really are is revealed. Still, many will flee to hide in the rocks and caves from the splendor of God's majesty.
Only one thing will matter on the Day of the Lord. Who was Jesus in us? Was He Lord of our lives? Did we run the race laid out for us by him or did we spend our lives building our own earthly kingdoms? Only the works that are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ will stand on that day. Everything else will be consumed by fire. (1 Cor 3:10-15) Those who exalted themselves will be humbled. Those who humbled themselves will be exalted. Many will have gained the world and it's wealth, only to forfeit their souls.
Revelations 6:15-17
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
On the Day of the Lord, the measure of wrath we have stored up against ourselves will be loosed against us. (Romans 2:1-8) When Jesus said "Do not judge, or you too will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you", he was actually showing us a way to keep from storing up wrath against ourselves. For when God's righteous judgement is revealed, those that have judged and not forgiven will receive the measure of what they have sowed! For this reason, we must forgive those that trespass against us. For if we forgive men their trespasses, our heavenly Father will forgive our trespasses. But if we judge one another, God will judge us. As Jesus said, "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." By forgiving and not judging, we loose God's mercy to triumph over his judgement in our lives. If we have loosed forgiveness on earth, it will be loosed in heaven for us. But if we have bound up unforgiveness in our hearts on earth, it will be bound up in heaven and loosed against us on the Day of Judgement. (Matt 18:21-35)
The glory of our resurrection will be based on our works. (1 Cor 15:35-58) When Jesus returns on the Day of the Lord, each person will be rewarded "according to what they have done." Our reaction when Jesus returns will either be one of glory or shame. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Romans 2 6-8). Since each person's glory and resurrection will be based on their works, some will have a more glorious resurrection than others. By the same token , some will have a greater heavenly reward than others. Only our work done for God has any eternal value. All earthly rewards are temporal and will pass away. Only our heavenly treasures will last forever (Matt 6:19-21). As Paul wrote, "For this reason, we should always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know our labor in the Lord is not in vain."
God will determine our Glorified Body at the Resurrection based on the seed we have sown while in our earthly body. Just as stars differ from one another in brightness and splendor, so our heavenly bodies will also differ from one another based on what we have sown. This is why Jesus referred to the Day of the Lord as the harvest. For this will be the day that we will reap a harvest from what we have sown all our lives. As long as the earth remains, the law of seedtime and harvest will be in effect (Ge 8:22). Paul also wrote about seedtime and harvest in Galatians 6:7. "Do not be deceived: God can not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Several times during Jesus' ministry, He was unable to perform miracles because of the people's lack of faith.
Mark 6:5,6
He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Matthew 13:58
And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith
Although the people's lack of faith hindered Jesus from performing certain miracles, raising the dead was not one of them. See Matthew 9:24,25; John 11
From this we can learn several things.
1) The surety of the Resurrection is based on God's glory and his promise, not our faith.
2) The Resurrection will occur regardless of whether we have faith to believe in it or not.
Everyone will be Resurrected when God's Glory is revealed! Whether we believe in the Resurrection or not is irrelevant because the surety of the Resurrection is based on God's promise, not our faith. The event that triggers the Resurrection will be God's Glory revealed. God's Glory is unchanging and eternal. The question we should ask ourselves concerning the Resurrection is "When God's Glory is revealed, will I be glorified with Him or ashamed?" For when He comes He will "Reward each person according to what they have done."