14.8 How did Jesus redeem us?
After Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, He heard the Father tell Him that He was God’s beloved son. Isn’t that so affirming and so sweet?
(Matt 3:17)
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased.”
God also told Jesus that He was pleased with Jesus. You must remember that Jesus had not started His ministry. He had not healed anyone or preached the gospel. Yet God affirmed Him.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil used the same modus operandi of making Jesus strive for what He already was. He told Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread…”
(Matthew 4:2-4)
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD, command that these stones become bread.”4 But He answered and said, “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
If Jesus tried to do something just to try to be the Son of God, He would have fallen for the temptation, and mankind would not be redeemed. He would have been robbed of the reality that He is the Son of God. But Jesus was secure in what the Father had told Him. Jesus knew that He was the Son of God. He didn’t have to try to be the Son of God. He believed God more than the devil. He replied, “It is written…,” putting His confidence in God’s word.
Today, it is the same in the New Covenant. The devil may say, “You must be faithful to God and then He will be faithful to you.” By believing that, you will then strive to earn God’s faithfulness by trying to be faithful to Him. The more you try, the more your action reaffirms that God is not already faithful to you. You have uncertainties of His faithfulness. It robs you of that reality.
But if you KNOW the truth, you would reply, “It is written that God remains faithful even if we are faithless.” Your faith in His faithfulness towards you does not waver. When you believe Him, you will be victorious over the temptation. Then when you experience His unconditional faithfulness, you begin to love Him more. You respond by being faithful to Him. You begin to bear fruit of faithfulness. This is the New Covenant – THAT YOU MAY KNOW His love and faithfulness.
(Matt 3:17)
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased.”
God also told Jesus that He was pleased with Jesus. You must remember that Jesus had not started His ministry. He had not healed anyone or preached the gospel. Yet God affirmed Him.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil used the same modus operandi of making Jesus strive for what He already was. He told Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread…”
(Matthew 4:2-4)
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD, command that these stones become bread.”4 But He answered and said, “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
If Jesus tried to do something just to try to be the Son of God, He would have fallen for the temptation, and mankind would not be redeemed. He would have been robbed of the reality that He is the Son of God. But Jesus was secure in what the Father had told Him. Jesus knew that He was the Son of God. He didn’t have to try to be the Son of God. He believed God more than the devil. He replied, “It is written…,” putting His confidence in God’s word.
Today, it is the same in the New Covenant. The devil may say, “You must be faithful to God and then He will be faithful to you.” By believing that, you will then strive to earn God’s faithfulness by trying to be faithful to Him. The more you try, the more your action reaffirms that God is not already faithful to you. You have uncertainties of His faithfulness. It robs you of that reality.
But if you KNOW the truth, you would reply, “It is written that God remains faithful even if we are faithless.” Your faith in His faithfulness towards you does not waver. When you believe Him, you will be victorious over the temptation. Then when you experience His unconditional faithfulness, you begin to love Him more. You respond by being faithful to Him. You begin to bear fruit of faithfulness. This is the New Covenant – THAT YOU MAY KNOW His love and faithfulness.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 12:12 AM
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