HE was the Word pure, without any shades of turning mixed with compromises and deceptions, without spots and blemishes mixed with lies and human reasoning, HE was the Word, the totally perfect Word. His mission had been decided even before we were created.
Thirty-three years, the Word became flesh and walked among us. HE healed the sick, destroyed strongholds, and released those that were imprisoned and tortured by evil spirits that had ankered themselves within their soul. For the first time in the history of humankind, people were experiencing freedom, healing, joy and contentment.
They began to see GOD not as the strict lawmaker wrapped up in a bunch of Mosiac Laws left behind by Moses, but as a loving Father who loves and cares for His own.
And yet, HE was despised and rejected. Not being an attractive person, people tended to ignore him. Not having attended the best universities of his time, the scholarly people did not even consider it worth the effort to get to know him. They saw him as a tradesman, a carpenter, who would someday walk in the footprints of his earthly father.
No one saw the revelance of his being on earth outside of those in the heavenly realm. Thus, evil spirits called out, what have we to do with you, JESUS, as HE cast them out of a young man and they went into the pigs. But instead of seeing and understanding that the CHRIST had come, the town people were upset and asked him to leave immediately.
Not even those whom HE had chosen to follow him three years long could grasp the reality of whom they were learning from. Sure, one of them walked on water, some of them healed the sick, others cast out demons and they all saw many people being fed, their hunger being stilled, but the reality that this man who looked like 'everyman' could be the Saviour of the world was not a part of their understanding. The pieces all came together on the day of the resurrection!
HE, JESUS, was the sacrificial lamb, totally pure, totally stainless, entirely the WORD. The WORD had become flesh and lived among us.
"HE was despised and rejected-, a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. HE was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses HE carried; it was our sorrows' that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from GOD, for His own sins! HE was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins, HE was beaten so we could be whole. HE was whipped so we could be healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5 - Hope For Today Bible)
And yet, HE was slain. That which no bull, cow, sheep or any other kind of animal could achieve, HE achieved with his death on the cross. A one time sacrifice that tore the veil as HE died and opened the way for all of us to come boldly before the throne of grace and worship and love the FATHER, for us all to come back home where we belong.
The way to the FAT'HER has been reopened. Today, we no longer have to take a sacrificial offering and appear before a priest inorder to experience atonement for our sins. We can go directly to the FATHER ourselves.
But what about that slained lamb? Is he dead?
Did you not know? Have you not heard? The slain lamb rose again on that third day and declared all power in His hands. HE lives in the eternal now! HE lives forever!
Can anything ever separate us from CHRIST's love? Does it mean HE no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, " For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through CHRIST, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from GOD's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow__ not even the powers of hell can separate us from GOD's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below__indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of GOD, that is revealed in CHRIST JESUS our LORD. Romans 8:35-39 Hope For Today Bible)
May the love of GOD shine graciously upon you and give you peace.
Schalom,
Pat Garcia Schaack
