Heaven Opened
Later on in John’s informative 1st Chapter Jesus meets a man He appears to be meeting for the first time. As Jesus sees the man coming He greets him as if He knows him. The man is a bit surprised and asks, “How do you know me.” Jesus replies, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Phillip called you.” The man, Nathanael, is blown away and blurts out, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” Jesus is not impressed. He tells Nathanael that this paranormal phenomenon, which he’s so impressed with, will be shown to be a mere token as “heaven is opened and the angels of God ascend and descend on the Son of Man.”
For the first time since Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden of Eden God and a human being will cooperate with one another continuously. The Son of Man will be fully engaged in the work of Heaven just as Heaven is involved in the day-to-day goings on of the Son of Man. Heaven and the Son of Man will cooperate completely in the work of the “Kingdom of the Heavens.” Later, when his detractors accused Jesus of overpowering the devil and his minions by the power of the devil himself, Jesus said to them, “… if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11:20) The “finger of God” was, indeed, the instrument by which He did His work. The “Kingdom of God,” has come to us. The will of the Father is now being fully done in the life of a man; the Son of God, who, is at the same time, the Son of Man.
Jesus, the “Son” of our race – the Child of our highest hopes – is more than our Hero. He’s intimately involved in our lives. There’s no air of superiority; no distance. He has come to live among us. He “became poor so that we can be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) Identifying so completely with us and living under the same circumstances we do He becomes a real life role model of how our lives were intended to look. He is also our Mentor/Teacher. He said, of Himself, “I am … the truth …” (John 14:6) He is the most knowledgeable, discerning, wise man we will ever meet. As Dallas Willard put it, “He is simply the smartest person who ever lived.” (The Divine Conspiracy, pg. 94) And John is quick to remind us of important things He taught while He was here. The most important of those lessons is about the “new kind of life” He’s demonstrating in His own day-to-day living.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
LifeLog - 12.14.07 - The Greatest Story Ever Told: Forever Told 3.
Jesus is the Son of Man.
“The Word,” John writes, “became a human and lived among us.”
Repeatedly, when “the Word” now human – Jesus – referred to Himself, it was as “the Son of Man.” This “Son of Man,” came to another John – the Baptist – to be baptized as a testimony of His surrender to the rule of God; the introduction of the “Kingdom of God,” into His own life.
The Baptist described what happened next. “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” Here is clear testimony concerning Jesus humanity. Granted John ends his statement by calling Him the “Son of God.” But he earlier describes Him as “the man” the “Spirit come(s) down and remains (on) …” This is a “man.” And it is a man on whom the Spirit remains.
Now, if He is exclusively the “Son of God,” there would be no need for the Spirit to remain on Him. Because, though He’s God He’s laying aside everything about Himself that is Divine, including any supernatural power not accessible to another human being. He, like the rest of us, has no power of His own. As a man He is completely dependent on the Spirit constantly. Furthermore, if He will eventually empower others to share His “new kind of life,” by giving them the Holy Spirit – “baptizing with the Holy Spirit” – He must be given the Spirit “without limit.” (John 3:34)
I noted, earlier, that Jesus repeatedly referred to Himself as “the Son of Man.” At the close of this first chapter of John He refers to Himself as the “Son of Man.” He is the Son of God become the Son of Man – the “Christ.”
Another writer summarizes the importance of Jesus being the “Son of man.”
“The Word,” John writes, “became a human and lived among us.”
Repeatedly, when “the Word” now human – Jesus – referred to Himself, it was as “the Son of Man.” This “Son of Man,” came to another John – the Baptist – to be baptized as a testimony of His surrender to the rule of God; the introduction of the “Kingdom of God,” into His own life.
The Baptist described what happened next. “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” Here is clear testimony concerning Jesus humanity. Granted John ends his statement by calling Him the “Son of God.” But he earlier describes Him as “the man” the “Spirit come(s) down and remains (on) …” This is a “man.” And it is a man on whom the Spirit remains.
Now, if He is exclusively the “Son of God,” there would be no need for the Spirit to remain on Him. Because, though He’s God He’s laying aside everything about Himself that is Divine, including any supernatural power not accessible to another human being. He, like the rest of us, has no power of His own. As a man He is completely dependent on the Spirit constantly. Furthermore, if He will eventually empower others to share His “new kind of life,” by giving them the Holy Spirit – “baptizing with the Holy Spirit” – He must be given the Spirit “without limit.” (John 3:34)
I noted, earlier, that Jesus repeatedly referred to Himself as “the Son of Man.” At the close of this first chapter of John He refers to Himself as the “Son of Man.” He is the Son of God become the Son of Man – the “Christ.”
Another writer summarizes the importance of Jesus being the “Son of man.”
“God is the One who made all things, and all things are for his glory. He wanted
to have many children share his glory, so he made the One who leads people to
salvation perfect through suffering … sharing their humanity … like His brothers
in every way. Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy
are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers
and sisters.” (Hebrews 2:10 – 17, NCV/NIV)
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