Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

John 16:16
"A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."

Christ is in the middle of a dialogue with His disciples preparing them for His death and ultimately resurrection. This dialogue began in John 13, following the institution of the Lord's Supper and the beginnings of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. Judas had left, the Last Supper was complete, and evening had come. This was the night of the betrayal, and the night of Christ's arrest.

The time had come, His three year teaching ministry was now complete, and now His passion, death and resurrection were at hand. He knew the disciples were going to be scattered, He knew that their faith would be crushed, and He knew that their expectations of the Messianic kingdom which were completely wrong would not be met in the puny way they imagined. He knew that He must teach them all things necessary for the three days without Him.

So throughout chapters 13-16 Jesus tells them in many different ways that He is going to be killed and will be raised again, yet they just don't understand. Thus, this passage is now the turning point where Christ explains that He will go, and then come back. Of course, He is referring to the fact that He will be killed to pay for the sins of the world, and then He will be resurrected from the dead, because He was sinless and will have truly purchased redemption of my sins, and a foreign righteousness.

So here it is. Christ while He was with His disciples says, you see me, you won't see me, and then you will see me again. This prediction of the truth of the passion of Christ is astounding.

First, Christ was seen. Christ was seen by the disciples, which means that He was truly man. He wasn't a ghost, but He truly took on human flesh, the God-man. A reasonable body and a reasonable soul. One person with two distinct natures.

Second, Christ will not be seen. Christ bore the wrath of God for my sins, such that He paid them, and this, caused Him to die. Now, God cannot die, but His physical body died, and He was immediately raised to the Father, and His body, dwelt three days in the ground. Thus, the truth of my sins being paid is real.

Third, Christ will be seen. Christ actually bore the wrath of God, and then, because He led a perfect life, He was resurrected into perfection. His physical body, was refashioned to that perfect body on the third day. On that third day, this body was then seen by the disciples. The proof of Christ's work being done and being effectual, is the fact that Christ was resurrected from the dead, and given a glorified body. This body, is the same body that I will get when I die in Christ. Thus, truth of the work of Christ can only be validated and proved by the fact that He came back to the earth in a body that was glorified.

The risen Savior has accomplished the work of salvation for me, and I now stand, crucified with Christ, meaning that my old man has been slain, I am no longer a slave to sin and myself. But, I also stand resurrected with Christ, for I have been given new life in Him, and now I am able to live as Christ did, emptying myself for the glory of God. So now, I live in Christ, with the power of the Spirit, bearing the cross of this life, living the passion of Christ, awaiting the final time when I will die, and be brought up with Christ to eternity. Thus, I have received the Lord Jesus Christ, He is not only by forgiveness, but also my righteousness. His perfect life is applied to me, so that my sins have been paid for and now God looks on me as His perfectly obedient son.

Oh God, great Jehovah, the mighty king of the universe and all powerful Savior. I stand before You as your creature. My purpose is to glorify you and to live all my life for you and in you. My purpose is to live for Jesus, and as Jesus did, emptying myself and being Your vessel. I can't do this on my own though! I am helpless and lost without You! Please God, through the mercies of Jesus Christ, give me your Spirit and empty me of my pride and self-love. Help me be your servant as Christ, my Savior and brother was. In Christ, Amen.