Always

"But Jesus, the man, is God."

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS and generations of people, Jew and non-Jew alike, God had little to no communication on the earth. Think this out. When adam, male and female, was made in God’s image after His likeness, he communed (walked and talked) with God freely. Then sin entered the earth, and we read that they hid from God. Or tried to. God, of course, knew where they were, but wanted them to see how things had changed.

Now, there are examples of God speaking throughout the Old Testament, but most required a priest or prophet as mediator, and there was a stiff penalty for approaching God without cleansing first from sin. God did speak but behind a veil. In a study of the book of Job, Rabbi Meir Solaveichik pointed out that the Hebrew language begins in third person (he, she, they) and then goes into second person (you). It is more personal. Example: If I say, “Dawn gave me orange juice for breakfast.” This is third person. I am speaking about what Dawn did. But if I say, “You gave me orange juice!” Now, I am speaking to someone and not simply about someone. Job spoke to God, it was personal conversation, and we read where God spoke to Job.

When Jesus enters the picture in the gospels, we have made a great effort to see Him as human, and rightly so, but in the process, many have overlooked who He is as God. Jesus is and was and is to come. These are the words of John’s revelation, implying eternity. Then in John 1:1 and 14 we read, “In the beginning was the Word … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Jesus is the Word which was in the beginning and became flesh.

Hebrews 10:5 gives us Jesus’ words about this, saying, “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” 1 Peter 1:20 repeats this truth. After speaking of Christ’s sacrifice in verse 19, we then read, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” In short, Jesus came to earth to be the physical sacrifice that would cleanse men of all sins, a plan laid before creation.

But Jesus, the man, is God.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29)

“And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.” (Luke 4:36)

When Jesus spoke, people listened, hearing the authority in His voice. More than they’d heard from their religious leaders. How startling this is, that men dedicated to the temple’s work spoke without God’s presence in their words. For this is the anointing of the Holy Spirit’s power to carry out what has been said (Acts 10:38). Jesus had the Spirit upon Him without measure, meaning in complete fullness. Where men are called into the ministry today as apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and in spiritual giftings, each is given a measure or portion as the Spirit wills. But Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, and the full anointing was upon Him.

I heard Jesus speak in the wee hours, one morning, and had no doubt that He is God. Lying there, afterward, I could see, in a new light, people’s astonishment, why the Pharisees badgered Him to tell who gave Him such authority, and why the centurion knew He could speak the word and without any physical contact, his servant would be healed. There is none like it on this earth. We step away in our daily lives and He becomes an icon. We quote His words, He is the Word, without the fear of God in them. Our services hold a measure of God’s presence, but in the grandeur of Him, that is but an ounce. If we’d truly hold the authority in His voice close to us, we’d never fear or err again.

“For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” (Luke 7:8)

The Scripture says that every eye shall see Him and they also which pierced Him, and all men on the earth will wail because of Him (Revelation 1:7). Not that He requires it. He is not seeking our crushing, He came to give abundant life, but that this is the effect of His authority upon us. We will wail for them, those that are lost, and they will wail, having lost a better future. He is the reason for such great emotion. John, seeing Him in this vision, fell on his face. Such is His holiness, and plunged within it, we are undone. And to think Jesus said His Father was greater.

We look in a mirror and see ourselves then walk away and forget. We read the stories of old, the miracles of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea into dry land, the fire which consumed the prophet’s sacrifice, the priests in Solomon’s temple being unable to stand upright, and we hold a measure of awe. But looking aside at our checkbook, our quarreling children, car troubles, and the like, and He becomes small. God knows this. He is a still, small voice because often that is how He must be heard. But the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, speaks to us, works through us, and with the barest lift of His hand separates the sky from the land.

With three words, spoken to a middle-aged woman in the dead of night, straightens out all the crooked places. God is merciful, and how well I know it. God is good. He has done great things for me, beyond comprehension. God is great, far beyond any man’s power to add or subtract.

Though we forget, He always is.

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)

“They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” (John 18:5-6)

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash


----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com