Many Things

Jesus does incredible works. They are unknown to men until they see the light of them. Those who come to know them are the children of God. For they have seen that He is able. They constitute the difference between the unbelieving and the ungifted. That Jesus is able to perform incredible works is the source to stand firm in belief. They are of the word. Everything He did for the well being of mankind from the time of His proclaiming the Kingdom of God to His ascension is incredible. From the time of His ascension to the time of His appearing again everything He does for men is incredible. For there is not a work He does apart from the power of God. Therefore, His works are incredible. God is in Him that He does the works necessary for men. If it were not so, men would not know the way to eternity.

When Jesus died on the cross, He performed a onetime work for the salvation of mankind. Still, it continues to bring sons to God, because He continues to do incredible works toward men in relation to it. He performs them by grace. In order that men receive salvation He has been incorporated with grace. Without it His death would not have an everlasting effect upon them; salvation would not have its foundation. Grace has been embodied in Him since the time He appeared on this earth and began to preach that men may understand His power to save and His oneness with God. Therefore, from the time of His preaching the Kingdom of God He showed immense compassion toward the lost, the needed and the weak. His compassion had no limits. People came to him in whatever condition they were. They sought Him. He was compassionate toward them. He had a great interest in them as He was always aware of their condition. Hence, when “they said to Him, ‘We have here only five loaves and two fish’” (Matt. 14:17), He did not waver.

Compassion for the people brought out of Him the immense grace of God. And, the work He did is very much known to us. We often speak of it when defining His powerful nature. What we, the believers, have in Jesus is God with us. Though not present in the flesh, through salvation that comes by grace He lives with us. Grace never had any limits nor will it ever have any. As long as God is compassionate toward a people that seek Him, Jesus does not relent in accomplishing works for them. This is what He was proving to the disciples, the people present and to the generations that would follow Him from the word, when He incredibly fed the five thousand. He proved He is with them. Nothing can take us away from this proof. Hence, Paul confidently said that we awesomely conquer through Him while naming all the things that cannot separate us from the love of God, which is Jesus. He was made aware of how Jesus works His grace toward those that seek Him. And, it will be well for all men to accept it.

“Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus’” (Acts 19:4). The key for Jesus to perform incredible works for us is our belief in Him, a belief that is appropriated by the word of God. Therefore, they that were baptized into John’s baptism were also gifted the Holy Spirit. Do not be mistaken. Paul was only preaching the good news in lieu of Jesus. But, it was Jesus who was performing incredible works for the Kingdom of God. The message of Jesus simply delivers, because of the grace that comes from Him. Many are bogged down by the incident of the laying on of hands. Nevertheless, it was belief in Jesus that made way for grace. If grace had anything to do with works, i.e. the laying on of hands, then it would not have appeared. For grace only works through faith and nothing else. What accentuates men to lay hands is people’s belief in Jesus. In other words, they are pleased for their belief. The opportunity to Paul to experience such pleasure also came through Jesus. For since the time he became a Christian everything he did as a servant of Jesus he claimed to be of grace. Jesus did incredible works for him.

Incredible works alone define Jesus. Or else, He is not any more than a mere human being. But, incidentally He is God. Had those men not believed the message of Paul they would not have been saved. When they received the Spirit their salvation was complete. This was apodictic for the people of those days that fully believed in Jesus. This meant that they shall fully know the Lord. For God Himself made this possible that each would not have to tell his neighbor to know the Lord. He put His laws on their minds and wrote them on their hearts. This He did by the giving of the Spirit by grace. For it to take place, Jesus became the mediator of a new covenant. Everything God planned for man Jesus fulfills it through His incredible works. This was indicative of Paul’s life. Hence, he boldly said to the church: “the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9).

Christians received from Paul the full working nature of Jesus. That Jesus made His life complete made this possible. He gave them what he received from Jesus. But, did the present day churches receive the same? Have we received it? Do we not have the details of Paul’s Christian life? Have they not been handed down to us as the Word of Christ? It is yet an incredible work of Jesus that His word has been preserved for us that we who are distant from God should come near to Him. And, it is only apodictic that we practice it. It is only those that have accepted this that practice. Those Christians that received from Paul were full of joy, because the God of peace was with them. This is indicative of Jesus doing incredible works for them. Yes, there were times when they suffered, but they eventually found joy. And, it has been the case that the book of Philippians is also referred to as the ‘Book of Joy.’ Yet, what joy did we obtain as we observe from the word the incredible working nature of Jesus? Is our joy comparable to theirs? By faith Jesus became an integral part of their life. And, it is only in this way that the way to eternity becomes clear to us.

To learn, receive, hear and see are all part of incredible works of Jesus. They give us the God of peace. Of this God many became deciduous. It is because of this reason we were given, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John” (Rev. 1:1). Jesus revealed everything to His servant pertaining to the church, Satan and the unbelieving. If this has not sounded as a warning to our ears, there is nothing that can help us. True, there is much symbolism and figurative speech in His message to John. But, none of it is without an absolute meaning that is directed to us. There are many things that will take place. Because the times and epochs are not in our control, it has been indicated that they must soon take place. Of such things we, Christians, ought to be ready. Many of us are still worried like the gentiles regarding what to eat, wear, drink, possess and retain. Our worry on such things will eventually tear us away from whatever we possessed of Jesus.

The things that have been communicated to us are real. They will take place whether to give glory or shame. We are blessed if we receive the things that give glory. They guarantee the way to eternity. Hear the promise of Jesus to His disciples. “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22). If Jesus did not rise up from the dead, they were doomed. But they rejoiced seeing that He who died rose up on the third day according the word. Therefore, we too rejoice through them. They were filled with joy when they realized He is back to be with them forever. Here is an interesting thing about their faith. They walked with Jesus, who was in the flesh and they walked with Jesus, who is in the Spirit; they found no variation with Him. This was due to an incredible work of Jesus, i.e. He was able to lay down His life and take it up again. Therefore, no one was able to take their joy away from them. It was with this joy they served Jesus and also served us in the Spirit by writing His word. What they have seen with their eyes and heard with their ears they produced to us that we by faith possess the Jesus in the Spirit, even as they.

This Jesus in the Spirit will undoubtedly perform incredible works for us. He who was God with them at all times cannot be but the same for us. “But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel from Egypt, and by a prophet he was kept” (Hos. 12:13). It was God’s will for Israel; it is also will God’s for us. And, He raised up a prophet like Moses who would incredibly lead us. Of Him God long ago mentioned through Moses. He who listens to Him will receive His incredible works. They are necessary for eternal life. They are in the word. Of that prophet who brought Israel from Egypt it was said he was faithful in all of God’s house as a servant. But, of the Prophet that leads us it was said He was faithful as a Son over His house. Therefore, He is able to perform incredible works for men to give God a Kingdom of His own. His works are light to men. Those who do not accept this are like men that refuted Him than believing Him. And, such men will always exist. They refute the word that testifies about Him. “So the Pharisees said to Him, ‘You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true’” (John 8:13).

Posted in 2011, Archives.