Posts Tagged ‘Christ’

Job needs a mediator

Posted: November 10, 2011 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, Job, November
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Dr. Kim Riddlebarger on the second half of Job 9:

Beginning in 9:25, Job describes his situation as a sign of God’s condemnation. 

He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Even if he does as Bildad suggests, and repents, Job knows that he cannot stop God’s will. What Job needs is a mediator, someone to arbitrate his case before the holy God. What Job needs is the intercession of Jesus Christ–something he already has but does not yet understand.

Hope in God

Posted: October 15, 2011 by Pam Larson in 1 Peter, Devotionals/Commentaries, October
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  Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…..He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
(1 Peter 1:13; 20-21 ESV)

Consider the six things that Peter tells us about Christ. Let these “sink in” and increase your hope in God.

1. Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world. (v 20)

2. He has appeared in these last times.(v 20)
3. He appeared for our sake.(v 20)

4. God raised him from the dead. (v 21)

5. God gave him glory.(v 21)

6. Through Christ we are believers in God. (v21)

John Piper, in a sermon “Christ Appeared That We Might Hope in God”

In other words Christ has done the necessary work to connect us with God in faith. He was eternally foreknown, he was manifested in human form, he shed his precious blood, God raised him from the dead, God gave him glory and through all of this we come to hope in God.

So Peter makes that explicit at the end of verse 21—all of this, “so that your faith and hope are in God.”

I said when I began that there were some close connections between verses 20 and 21 and what went before. We’ve been building on the connection between the command to conduct ourselves in fear in verse 17 and the glory of Christ in verses 20 and 21. Let me mention one more as we close.

Hope in God

This paragraph ends in verse 21 where it began in verse 13, namely, with hoping in God. Verse 13 began the paragraph by commanding, “Fix your hope completely on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” In other words, “Hope fully in the grace of God!” Verse 21 ends the paragraph by saying that God has done everything through Christ so that his people might put their faith and hope in God.

He knew and chose his Son, he sent his Son, he put his Son to death, he raised his Son from death, he gave his Son glory—Why? For this reason: so that you would hope in God and not sin. So that you would trust what God can do for you rather than what you can do for yourself.

Henry Law: Never take only superficial chaff from fields of such rich grain.

Posted: March 23, 2011 by Pam Larson in Deuteronomy, Devotionals/Commentaries, March
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“But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it..”
Deuteronomy 30:14

In this passage, there is a clear picture of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.  It is like a compass needle that points to the North Pole.  Deuteronomy and the rest of the OT point us to Jesus!  Not only do we see Moses speaking to us of Jesus, Paul speaks of Jesus in the same way in Romans 10:6-8 “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say?“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

Henry Law comments on this beautiful passage at Grace Gems.org:

“The word is near you.” Do any ask, What word? The answer is, “The word of faith.” The Gospel-tidings about Christ; that word, which faith bears–prizes–welcomes–clings to–lives by–that record, from which delightedly it draws strength–peace–joy–comfort–glory.

We here are plainly told, that this word was very near to Israel’s sons. Their knowledge was comparatively twilight, but still abundant gleams broke on them from the Sun of Righteousness. Their every rite was Christ, in shadow.

  • He was the soul of every ordinance.
  • He was reflected by the tabernacle in all its parts.
  • The altars stood His graphic form.
  • He died in every dying lamb.
  • He bled in all the flowing blood.
  • He groaned in every victim’s groan.
  • The curling incense was His fragrant prayer.
  • The veil portrayed His flesh.
  • The priest in the resplendent robes–in every sacrificial act–in the uplifted hands–in the grand words of blessing, showed Him, as He ministered below, and as He ministers above.
  • The leper preached the malignity and cure of sin.
  • The true instruction from Mosaic lips was Christ–His grace–His person–and His perfect work.

The outstretched finger of each part pointed to Him. A constant voice called to one sight–“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”–turn to the promised seed–the bruiser of the serpent’s head–the great High-priest–the efficacious blood. Leviticus was a mirror, in which our elder brethren might read the full salvation, which the Father planned, and which the Son in due time achieved. Thus Gospel-truth was very near to Israel’s sons.

Reader, learn hence to study Moses with mind intent on Christ. Dig in this mine, as miser eager for pure gold. The flowers of this garden all breathe heavenly fragrance. As salt is in each ocean’s drop, so Jesus is in each portion of these rites. You lose the prize, except you find Him. Never take only superficial chaff from fields of such rich grain.

 

Seeing Christ in the Bible

Posted: June 15, 2010 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, June
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bibleRay Ortlund, Pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, posted this quote:

“On these pages you will find the living Christ and you will see Him more fully and more clearly than if He stood before you, before your very eyes.”

Erasmus’ preface to his Greek New Testament, quoted in Earl D. Radmacher, editor, Can We Trust The Bible?, page 92.