Friday, June 30, 2017

JESUS the Son, God of Love (Luke 10)

Besides the twelve disciples, Jesus commissioned the seventy others to go out and minister to people...

(Luke 10:17-20)  The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

We know that Satan's fall - was at some point - before the fall of man, because Satan had used the serpent to tempt Eve.  Jesus had been there to see all of this because Jesus is God - part of the Trinity!...

(Luke 10:21-22)  At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Three in One, working together, each with a different "job description"...

(Luke 10:23-24)  Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”

We are able to "see" these things, and understand them to a point.  If we could understand everything about God, I believe that would be problematic.  How can us finite beings understand an infinite God who created the universe with such complexity - when we cannot even fully understand ourselves?  But we can understand enough to trust the all-powerful, all-knowing God who loves us and came in flesh to die for us so we can have our names recorded in heaven - not because of what we do or don't do!  But because of accepting and having a close relationship with Him.  In the same chapter, we see an example of this...

(Luke 10:38-42)  Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

We cannot earn God's love or favor.  He already loves us, and desires that we all have a close relationship with Him.  And as per Luke 10:27, when you "love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind" - THEN we will love our neighbor as ourselves...

(1 John 4:7-19)  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us.

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