The Power Of The Most High

Luke 1:35 ESV

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. 

Jesus was conceived from above by the same power that would raise Him from death. He was born from above into flesh that we might be reborn in spirit. He became the Son of Man that we would become children of the Most Holy God. 

A Spectacle

1 Corinthians 4:9 ESV

9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 

Our witness of God's truth has a much wider audience than we might think. All of creation waits for the body of Christ to be revealed, both heaven and earth. His purpose will become clear. 

Then Joined Together

The first Adam fell

The second rose up

A suitable companion was not found for the first

She was fashioned from his flesh

Taken, then joined together

And so it is the Bride of Christ

Becomes one in His body

Set Apart

Romans 1:1-4

 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David   according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 

We, like Paul, are declared to be sons and daughters of God through the power of His resurrection by that same Spirit.

Through Creation

The virgin birth

The resurrection

Born and reborn

Of man

Of God

The Divine passage

Descending and ascending 

God's journey through creation

We are to follow

And to be like Him

Has Been Delivered

Genesis 32:24-31 ESV

24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken. ” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me. ” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name? ” And he said, “Jacob. ” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. ” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name. ” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name? ” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered. ” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 

Jacob encounters God. His mortal body is wounded and he is diminished from a worldly standpoint, but his life has been delivered. He has striven and prevailed with the man he was, and thus God gives him a new name to reflect the new man. 

The Son has risen and He is the light of the world. He has truly overcome the world and offers that power to all mankind.

Against The Holy Spirit

Mark 3:28-30 ESV

28   “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit. ” 

It seems that everything can be forgiven except rejection of the Holy Spirit. The call of grace unheeded, ignored, and dismissed has no good effect.  One is left in the fallen state, far from God. 

Light And Dark

Except for darkness, would we be able to see the light?

The understanding of holiness unfolds in concert with our realization of sin. 

Lest You Forget

Deuteronomy 8:11-16 ESV

11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 

Every day is cause for thanksgiving. Every day is the day to remember the Lord for the things He has done.

What Mary Saw

John 20:11-12 ESV

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 

The two disciples left the empty tomb, leaving Mary behind. In her grief, she remains. It's quiet now, so that only the soft sounds of her weeping disturb the air. Her eyes return to where the stone was rolled away. She bends down to peer into the darkness of the tomb. She sees in His place two angels, though there is no indication she recognized them as such. They are clothed with heaven's garments and are there to give witness to the resurrection of Jesus. The testimony of two were required by Hebrew law to be legally accepted.

And Believed

John 20:8-9 esv

8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 

Tomb comes from the Greek word:

μνημεῖον * mnēmeion * mnay-mi'-on * From G3420; a remembrance, that is, cenotaph (place of interment): - grave, sepulchre, tomb.

Cenotaph -noun

a tomblike monument to someone buried elsewhere, esp. one commemorating people who died in a war.

The other disciple appears to have grasped the meaning of what he had seen. He remembered what Jesus had said was going to happen and why. As he looked upon the empty grave, things began to fall in place. The words of Jesus and Scripture came together in a way he had not seen before. He saw it now, and believed.

In The Middle

1 Timothy 6:11-12 ESV

11 But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life-- a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. 12 Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. 

We can only pursue a righteous life if we move from a worldly life. It is the destination that defines the journey. It is faith that allows us to see the distant finish line and provides the power to run, to endure to that end. 

We are caught in the middle, but we are not left behind for He is with us. 

False Prophets

1 John 4:1-6 ESV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 

There are those who say we are no longer a Christian nation, but that this is a place hope and authority in anything other than Jesus Christ. They deny His gospel and their confidence is in themselves. 

This is in opposition to the Spirit of truth, but truth will prevail for Jesus has overcome the world. 

Rolled Back

Mark 16:4 ESV

4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back— it was very large. 

The law was written on stone and condemned man, for he was unable to keep the law. 

When Jesus rose from the grave, the stoned was rolled back and mercy triumphed over judgement. 

Nothing

What did you do yesterday that made you more acceptable to God?

Nothing. 

What did you do that made Him love you more, or less?

Nothing. 

Mutually Encouraged

Romans 1:11-12 ESV

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 

When we gather together in faith, we grow and are strengthened in that same faith. Our presence is a witness and we witness His presence. 

I Have Learned

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 

Being content appears to be a learned behavior, the secret is Christ and being with Christ.  There is much in the world that teaches and encourages discontent. One can readily and too easily learn this. 

True contentment is the state of heart and mind which rests in Jesus. From this place of strength we can find our center, for He is with us. 

Sour Wine

John 19:28-30 ESV

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said( to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst. ” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

The first miracle in John's gospel is changing water to wine. The last thing thing He did before ending His ministry on earth was receive sour wine at the hands of His tormentors. Just as the new wine can represent the new covenant of salvation, the sour wine is representative of the old covenant which was not able to save man in his weakness.

The wine of Jesus was poured out for the world even as the sour wine of our sin was brought to His lips.

"It is finished".

Every Knee

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should 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. 

Not some or most, but everyone. It is a thing which is done and will come to pass, more certain than the morning sun. 

From That Hour

John 19:25-27 ESV

25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son! ” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother! ” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 

Jesus had previously asked who was his mother and brothers after being told his family was outside. Far from leaving behind family relationships, He is about to enable relationship in the family of God. Our earthly models will give way to heavenly realities as we become sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. 

Jesus has moved through the roles of son and teacher to that of Savior and Lord. He will return, not as the Lamb of sacrifice, but as the King of kings and we will all be changed. 

As He Walked By

John 1:35-36esv

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God! ” 

John beheld the Holy One of God. He did not merely observe a man walking by, but comprehended Who He was, and the enormity of thing He was about to do.  Jesus had begun the steps of His ministry which would lead to the salvation of man. How John must have been filled with wonder, joy, and awe. 

It Becomes Personal

God wrote the ten commandments on stone tablets. Moses threw them down upon finding the Israeli's disobedience, breaking the tablets as a result. 

God rewrites the commandments on stone.

God then writes His law on the hearts of those who believe. 

In each case, it is done by the hand of God. The law does not disappear. but becomes personal. 

It Works Out

Philippians 2:12-13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

In the same way as Jesus, in humble obedience, we lay hold of salvation. 

We have been given an awesome gift, worthy of reverence and respect. He gives His Spirit to lead the way in the way of light. That is how it works out.