“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”
We have not long ago celebrated Christmas remembering when Jesus put aside His deity to be born as man.
It is such a wonder that He, as part of the Godhead in the Trinity, forewent so much to be incarnate and born into this world to experience our limitations, sufferings and needs as man.
The list is astounding when we consider what He went from and to.
Word to flesh, God to human, invisible to visible, untouchable to touchable, an eternal life to a temporal life, being infinite to being finite, transcendent to ordinary, immutable to mutable,Spirit to matter, unbreakable to breakable, independent to being dependent, almighty to weak, exhorted to humble, fame to obscurity, joy to grief, a throne to a cross, a palace to a stable, a ruler to being ruled, powerful to weakness and so on.
If Jesus endured a life journey in this world not only to accomplish the ultimate redemption but to be our advocate it follows that our journey fulfils a purpose beyond ourselves too.
Our experiences and testimony is not only to receive but to know and serve also.
Until there has been a journey through suffering, I don’t believe that we have true healing authority.
We don’t have the ability to lead anybody anyplace new unless we have walked it ourselves to some degree.
We transform people to the degree we have been transformed.
Then we can somehow be compassion, not just talk about compassion;
Then we can be healed and not just talk about healing.
Then we are, as Henri Nouwen said so well, “wounded healers,” but not before.
It is when wounding happens, we find the grace and the freedom to somehow see that it’s not just a wound, but a sacred wound.
Then the journey progresses and we can minister effectively to others.
The genius of Jesus’ ministry is that he embraces tragedy, suffering, pain, betrayal, and death itself to bring us to God.
He identifies with the wound, the pain, and the suffering. He does not stand apart from it but enters into it.
It’s all about what each of us does with the wound.
If we ourselves have never walked through some kind of suffering, whether betrayal, abandonment, rejection, divorce, loss of job, struggles with sexuality, we probably will give people “head” answers.
We don’t touch or heal their hearts because our own have not been transformed.
In most of Jesus’ healings, he physically touches people.
The experience of being away from the perfection of the kingdom and heaven makes us know it more truly.
When Jesus prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”
“The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” because Satan “deceives the whole world”
Jesus warned Peter that Satan will sift and try to test our faith but we have the truth that Jesus has prayed already that we will remain faithful and also bring others to that place.
Jesus was not jealous of His power and authority, He also promised that we would do even greater things than we had witnessed Him doing in His lifetime.
Many lean on their own understanding and believe only in what can be validated by research, they want proof and certain knowledge to believe.
Gods will is that we seek, encounter, believe and have faith.
Truth is God’s will made known through His Word. The Holy Spirit’s role is to enable us to understand the Word of God from God’s perspective
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”
The illustration shows the mystery of Jesus Emmanuel and Jesus Christ revealing the mystery of the kingdom bringing light to the world to push back the darkness.
Five Scriptures that come to mind:
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”John 17:15
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””John 8:32 ESV
“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”1 Timothy 3:16 ESV
“Peter, my dear friend, listen to what I’m about to tell you. Satan has obtained permission to come and sift you all like wheat and test your faith. But I have prayed for you, Peter, that you would stay faithful to me no matter what comes. Remember this: after you have turned back to me and have been restored, make it your life mission to strengthen the faith of your brothers.””Luke 22:31-32 TPT
Blessings. Laura Story
https://youtu.be/Cd6J6Wgnv4M
Lessisgreater 