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May 2017 Printable .pdf (130 KB)

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and His son the Lord Jesus Christ.

The April 2017 teaching discussed Psalm 46 where we learned about God is our refuge and strength by looking at the Hebrew name for God, Elohim. We learned that Elohim's Word is our refuge and strength.

This month's teaching will continue to focus on God's Word as our refuge and strength. As we celebrated Easter last month, I thought we would look at Christ Jesus as the mediator (go-between), intercessor (arbitrator), and two Post-Resurrection appearances of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must understand that the Word of God says Christ Jesus is the mediator for the unsaved. He is the intercessor for the born-again saints.

For the unsaved Christ Jesus is the mediator. Let's read 1 Timothy 2:5:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men [includes women], the man Christ Jesus.

How many Gods are there? "one God." How many mediators are there? One. Who is the mediator? "The man Christ Jesus." This verse is very clear on how many Gods there are, how many mediators there are, and who is the mediator - "the man Christ Jesus."

For the born-again saints, Christ Jesus is our intercessor. The intercessor means the person who intervenes on behalf of another. Look at Romans 8:34:

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who died for us? Christ. Who was raised from the dead? Christ. Who is at the right of God? Christ. Who makes intercession for us? Christ. No born-again person conquered Satan. It was Christ Jesus who conquered Satan for every born-again believer. Throughout history, great men have been born into this world and died. But only one great man was raised from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son. How do I know that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead? I know that God raised Jesus Christ from the grave because I speak in tongues. No one can speak in tongues unless they are born-again of God's Spirit with the resurrected Christ dwelling within them!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest event throughout all history for born-again believers. Let's go to I Corinthians 15:13-23:

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith [believing] is also vain.

Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

And if Christ be not raised, your faith [believing] is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Satan was conquered when God resurrected His son from the dead. With the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is available for everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth of God's Word (I Timothy 2:4). That doesn't mean everyone will choose to be saved but salvation is available for all the human race.

However, Satan doesn't want you to know that he has been conquered by the resurrection of our Lord and savior Christ Jesus. Satan knows it is the resurrection of Christ and the giving of God's Spirit on the day of Pentecost, combined with confessing the Lord Jesus and believing in our heart that God raised him from the dead, that we shall be born-again of God's Spirit (Romans 10:9) and become sons and daughters of God (I John 3:2). We can do all things (in God's Word) through Christ which strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We are heaven bound, and there is nothing Satan can do to stop us!

Man, oh man! Do you see how God's Word is our refuge and strength? God has (past tense) blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Men and women must believe God's Word and act on it! The Word of God is a present reality now! God's Word is an eternal now. Nothing comes before God's Word.

The first post-Resurrection appearance of Christ in his resurrected body was to the imprisoned spirits. This occurred sometime between Saturday night and before he appeared to Mary early Sunday morning the first day of the week. Look at 1 Peter 3:18:

For Christ, also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring [obtain access for] us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [made alive] by the Spirit.

Jesus Christ brought us to God, and he is the mediator between God and men, so that we might have fellowship with God. Turn to 1 Peter 3:19:

By which also he went and preached [the Greek word kerruso or herald, proclaim] unto the spirits in prison.

The first thing that God had His son do in his resurrected body was to witness to the imprisoned spirits. Jesus showed the spirits that God had raised him from the dead. Why were those spirits imprisoned? 1 Peter 3:20 tells us why:

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

These were the spirits that brought the destruction of the earth in the days of Noah. They were imprisoned and not allowed to roam free any more. God had longsuffering with the wickedness of man while Noah finished the ark. God had longsuffering from the fall of man (Adam) to the redemption of man through Christ.

Now let's look at the second post-Resurrection appearance by Jesus Christ to a person; specifically, Mary. Let's just read this wonderful record in John 20:1:

The first day of the week [Sunday] cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

God's Word said when Mary came to the sepulchre on the first day of the week (Sunday) it was early and yet dark. We called this day, Easter Sunday. Let's continue in John 20:2-8:

Then she [Mary] runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

The other disciple with Simon Peter saw and he believed. You and I can't look in that sepulchre today and believe. You and I must believe God's written Word first and then we see. Continue with John 20:9:
For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

The other disciple and Simon Peter read the Word but they did not understand the meaning of it. How can this be? Remember Philip and the Ethiopian from the book of Acts 8:30-31?

And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], and said, understands thou what thou read?

And he [Ethiopia] said, how can I, except some man should guide me?

The Ethiopian could read the words, but he did not understand the meaning. Many people read the Bible but they do not understand what they are reading until someone guides them, someone gives them the meaning or someone opens the scriptures to them. I was the same way until someone opened the scriptures to me. And Simon Peter and the other disciple had the same response when they looked in the sepulchre.

I am so thankful to God for giving me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, and for the eyes of my understanding being enlightened. I now know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:17-20).

Now back to John 20:10-16:

Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him [Jesus in his resurrected body] to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus simply said her name, Mary. She then recognized him and said "Rabboni" or Master! I cannot imagine how excited she was in seeing Jesus in his resurrected body. Let's continue with John 20:17:

Jesus saith unto her, touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Jesus Christ is the high Priest for Israel. He had to present himself to God. This is the reason he told Mary not to touch him. Jesus said, "I ascend unto" who? "My Father and your Father." And to who? "My God and your God." That's what God's Word says, and that's what it means. Let's finish this record in John 20:18:

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Who did Mary Magdalene tell? The disciples! The believers! The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ! God's Word given to His only begotten son in his resurrected body was for Mary and the disciples, their refuge and strength.

Mary Magdalene and the disciples saw and experienced these events surrounding the resurrected Christ, then they believed. We must believe the revelation of God's Word and then we see. The Word of God is the Will of God. You cannot know the Will of God without knowing His Word. The last verse of John 20:31 says:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The scriptures are written that you and I might believe and act on God's Word. Then His Word is our refuge and strength! Bless your heart. You are the best.

In summary, we focused on God's Word as our refuge and strength. We looked at Christ Jesus as the mediator, intercessor, and two post-Resurrection appearances of our Lord Jesus Christ (in his resurrected body). The first appearance was to the imprisoned spirits, and the second one to Mary Magdalene. We understood that Christ Jesus is the mediator for the unsaved. He is the intercessor for the born-again saints.

Let us pray. Father I am so thankful to you, because you so loved the world, that you gave your only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). For Father, you sent not your son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17). Father through the resurrection of your son and his ascension to your right hand, you made it available for everyone to be born-again of your spirit by the accomplished works of your only begotten son. I know when I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in my heart that you, Father, had raised him from the dead, that I shall be saved. For with my heart I believe to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). I am so thankful, Father, for the eternal love you have bestowed upon me through your son Christ Jesus. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Amen.

I also thank God, our Father, without ceasing, because when you receive the Word of God, you receive it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe (I Thessalonians 2:13).

Next month's teaching will continue to look at the Word of God as our refuge and strength by reviewing the post-Resurrection appearances of our Lord Jesus Christ as documented in the book of Luke.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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