Messiah Comes in the Name of the Lord

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” (Psalm 118;26. NIV. [See also 2 Samuel 7:12-16] “For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ “ (Matthew 23:39. NIV).

The verse quoted from Psalm 118:26 was used in Jewish worship as a greeting, and was especially used at the Feast of the Tabernacles which celebrated the ingathering of crops and remembered God’s protection and provision when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Each of the gospel writers included this greeting as Christ went into Jerusalem on what we term His triumphal entry, riding on a donkey, with people shouting “Hallelujah!” and waving palm branches. No such fanfare came at or near the time of Jesus’ birth. I often imagine, however, that with each clop of the donkey’s feet on the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem as Joseph and Mary made their journey to enroll for the taxes, that they were thinking, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Did Mary wonder that she might go into labor in Bethlehem? As a mother of two and knowing the anticipation of birth, I can empathize with Mary as she went to Bethlehem. She harbored the promise of God in her heart and beneath her heart. And then when He was born, there came the quiet worship of lowly shepherds from the fields. Later, as the holy family was in a house, Magi from the East came, presented gifts and departed secretly so as not to allow Herod the knowledge of where the Christ child was. During His ministry, Jesus tried to prepare His disciples for a time when He will return “with glory in His wings.” Again, at that time, the greeting so long uttered by believers will be upon every tongue: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Messiah, in fulfillment of prophecy, but more importantly in response to God’s great love for humankind, came in the fullness of time as a Baby born in Bethlehem, “God’s only begotten Son” (John 3:16). As we celebrate Christmas in all facets of its meaning, let us not lose sight of this distinctive message: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Times could get much worse than now. God is seeking to prepare us for tribulation and sorrow. He calls us to faithfulness, regardless of the circumstances. And the blessed assurance we have was expressed confidently by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:26-27: “to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 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.” (NIV). My prayer is that we as faithful Christians might radiate “the hope of glory” daily in our lives, that we may be among those who proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, December 23, 2010

Messiah: Rod of Jesse, Full of Wisdom and Power

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding. The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears…Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.” (Isaiah 11:1-3, 5. NKJV) [Read Isaiah 11:1-10]. “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:34-36, NKJV)

Continuing the idea of the Righteous Branch from the ‘stem of Jesse,’ King David’s father, Isaiah writes a dynamic prophecy of the coming Messiah and describes His kingdom, full of wisdom and power. How we thrill to the reading of the beautiful Messianic poem in Isaiah 11 when the wolf and the lamb dwell together, unafraid, and all the wild animals are tamed and under control. Of course we realize that this is a symbolic and metaphorical rendering of the reign of Christ, and it goes beyond the earthly time of the Messiah’s life to the everlasting kingdom which is yet to be fulfilled. Isaiah pictures the future Divine Ruler in three aspects: perfect in intellectual endowment (wisdom and understanding), perfect in practical qualities (counsel and might), and perfect in religious spirit (knowledge and the fear of the Lord) which crowns all the other gifts of wisdom and power. The girdle about His loins indicates that He is ever ready to bring about righteousness and faithfulness. In John’s affirmation of the Messiah, he declares Jesus as sent from God, full of righteousness and power, able to save, and God “has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35).

I am reading a Christian classic book entitled Abiding in Christ by the Rev. Andrew Murray, born in 1828 in South Africa and for many years a pastor and missionary there. The thesis of his book is that we readily accept the invitation Christ extends, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). But we sorely neglect His second invitation which allows us to tap into His wonderful resources of wisdom and power. That invitation is “Abide in Me” (John 15:4). Jesus desires that we come to Him, and especially that we abide in Him. Murray writes: “Who would be content, after seeking the King’s palace, to stand in the door, when he is invited in to dwell in the King’s presence, and share with Him in all the glory of His royal life? Let us enter in and abide, and enjoy fully all the rich supply His wondrous love has prepared for us!” (p. 15-16). How can we more closely ‘abide in Him’? First, cast off the shackles that prevent abiding: unfaithfulness to Him with no time set aside for regular Bible study and prayer; busyness that prevents our taking time to seek the Lord and abide in His presence; failure to recognize that abiding in Him is a priority for the Christian life. Then, after determining that we must take time to “abide in Him,” Murray gives strong suggestions for how we can do that: “Come, fellow believers, and let us day by day place ourselves at His feet, and meditate on this Word of His with an eye fixed on Him alone. Let us set ourselves in quiet trust before Him, waiting to hear His holy voice—the still, small voice that is mightier than the storm that breaks the rocks—breathing its life-giving spirit within us as he speaks, ‘Abide in Me.’ (p. 17).

A new year is about to dawn. Can we make a resolution (and keep it!) to more closely ‘Abide in Him’ the coming year, and learn more of His wisdom and power that He wants to bestow upon us? Murray declares: “The soul that hears Jesus himself speak the Word receives with the Word the power to accept and to hold the blessing He offers” (p. 17). May we draw close to Him, abide in Him. It’s the only safe place to be in the perilous times in which we live.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, December 10, 2010

Nicodemus – Seeker by Night

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ “ –John 3:1-3 NKJV [Read John 3: 1-21]

Who was Nicodemus who went to Jesus at night to ask Him questions? John says he was a Pharisee. This was the largest and most influential of the Jewish religious-political parties in New Testament times. The very name of this group meant “the separated ones.” They were avid students of the Jewish law as handed down by Moses, the elders and oral tradition. They also separated themselves from people so as not to be contaminated by common sinners. They performed much ceremonial washing and cleansing. This group believed in life after death. They would not accept Jesus because he would not condone their teachings of the oral law and its interpretation as binding.

Nicodemus was a “ruler of the Jews.” This means he was a member of the influential Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council of 71 men, presided over by the high priest. It consisted of members from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sanhedrin would later play a dominant role in the condemnation of Jesus. They used false witnesses against Jesus and pressured Pilate to declare the death sentence against Him.

Nicodemus recognized Jesus as a teacher, calling Him ‘Rabbi’, a term of respect used by pious Jews of their teachers. We can only surmise that his coming at night to Jesus was to keep his seeking a secret from his peers in the Sanhedrin, for Jesus certainly had no popularity with that group of Jewish select-men. One thing we know, the conversation resulted in one of our most vital doctrines in Christianity, the necessity to be born again in order to be saved. The verse numbered John 3:16 is the most quoted and loved of any of the Scriptures. It is the heart of the gospel and reveals the heart of God’s seeking to redeem every person: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (KJV).

Did Nicodemus’ night visit result in his own rebirth to faith in the Lord as the Messiah and Savior? John does not say. But we can believe Nicodemus was a believer, because John records in 19:39-41 that Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes, a hundred pounds, enough to anoint a king for burial. This was an act of Pharisaic piety that Nicodemus would have know from their law (Tobit 1:17, on preparation of the dead for burial). But on the other hand, it would have been a recognition that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the King of the Jews, whom the Pharisees had rejected. Nicodemus risked his reputation, his position in the Sanhedrin, and his credibility as a teacher among the Pharisees to anoint the body of Jesus as it was laid in the tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea.

We could wish to know more about Nicodemus. The very fact that he sought Jesus has been a marvelous witness. If we come to Jesus we will find answers for life and for eternity.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, March 12, 2010

Ultimate Love

For God so loVed the world,
that He gAve
His onLy
begottEn
SoN
That whosoever
believeth In Him
should Not perish
but have Everlasting life.
-John 3:16

Above is stated the greatest message of all time, for Valentine’s Day or any day, for you, for me, for anyone, anywhere who will believe and accept God’s ultimate love gift.

Prayer: Thank You, God, for Your ultimate, priceless gift of love through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, February 14, 2010