GOD'S TROPHIES
In some form or fashion, all who have come to the saving knowledge and acceptance of Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life can testify to God working in their life. Individuals that have seen healing(s) or miracles are people who can attest to His work or His power and might. One could say that all the individuals Jesus healed, during His first visit, were trophies meant to showcase God's power and might. However, the following instances stood out to me.
Jesus heals a man born blind.
"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." - John 9:1-3
The death of Lazarus.
"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." - John 11:1-4
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days." - John 4:17
The Resurrection of Jesus.
"He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." - Luke 24:25-27
In the first two accounts you have some sort of phrase that deems the situation special. In the last example it is implied. The phrase in the first quote (John 9:1-3) that assumes speciality is "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Then, in the second illustration (John 11:1-4), the phrase that makes the difference is - "...it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." The Resurrection of Jesus completed the thought that Jesus brought forth in John 3:16-17 about Father God's plan for the salvation of humanity - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
In all of the above cases a life was affected. The first man had been blind since birth. The second was a very dear friend of Jesus and to those around him. To the man himself, his sickness ended in death, but only for four days (until he died again later on in his life). The third was the Son of God Himself, who told us the plan of salvation and then executed it flawlessly by suffering, dying, and rising from death three days later. These men were meant to display God's work. They were meant to bring God alone glory. And they did.
Here are some other lives and sometimes deaths that were meant to display God's work - a little dead girl, John the Baptist, Nathanael, a Samaritan woman at the well, Peter, and another example with Jesus.
In Luke 8:41-56 a dead girl is raised to life. Her story here is similar to Lazarus. The little girl was sick (so was Lazarus), Jesus is delayed (Jesus purposely waited), the little girl died (so did Lazarus), Jesus makes it to the little girls house (Jesus also arrives at the Lazarus' house after Lazarus had died), Jesus resurrects the little girl (Jesus also resurrects Lazarus). People just don't come back from the grave, so this was definitely a display of God's power and plan through His Son Jesus.
Another life that God used powerfully was John the Baptist. Here was a man with the great responsibility of "preparing the way of the Lord" (Matthew 3:3). His role and/or purpose in life was paid the highest compliment-
"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." - Matthew 11:11
John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, was so dear to him that at the news of John's death Jesus needed some alone time.
Jesus heals a man born blind.
"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." - John 9:1-3
The death of Lazarus.
"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." - John 11:1-4
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days." - John 4:17
The Resurrection of Jesus.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
- Matthew 28:1-10
"He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." - Luke 24:25-27
In the first two accounts you have some sort of phrase that deems the situation special. In the last example it is implied. The phrase in the first quote (John 9:1-3) that assumes speciality is "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Then, in the second illustration (John 11:1-4), the phrase that makes the difference is - "...it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." The Resurrection of Jesus completed the thought that Jesus brought forth in John 3:16-17 about Father God's plan for the salvation of humanity - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
In all of the above cases a life was affected. The first man had been blind since birth. The second was a very dear friend of Jesus and to those around him. To the man himself, his sickness ended in death, but only for four days (until he died again later on in his life). The third was the Son of God Himself, who told us the plan of salvation and then executed it flawlessly by suffering, dying, and rising from death three days later. These men were meant to display God's work. They were meant to bring God alone glory. And they did.
Here are some other lives and sometimes deaths that were meant to display God's work - a little dead girl, John the Baptist, Nathanael, a Samaritan woman at the well, Peter, and another example with Jesus.
In Luke 8:41-56 a dead girl is raised to life. Her story here is similar to Lazarus. The little girl was sick (so was Lazarus), Jesus is delayed (Jesus purposely waited), the little girl died (so did Lazarus), Jesus makes it to the little girls house (Jesus also arrives at the Lazarus' house after Lazarus had died), Jesus resurrects the little girl (Jesus also resurrects Lazarus). People just don't come back from the grave, so this was definitely a display of God's power and plan through His Son Jesus.
Another life that God used powerfully was John the Baptist. Here was a man with the great responsibility of "preparing the way of the Lord" (Matthew 3:3). His role and/or purpose in life was paid the highest compliment-
"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." - Matthew 11:11
John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, was so dear to him that at the news of John's death Jesus needed some alone time.
"When Jesus heard what had happened [the death of John the Baptist], he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." - Matthew 14:13 A man of significance in the service of God - John the Baptist.
Nathanael is not someone in Scripture I hear many pastors preach about yet Jesus had this to say concerning him -
"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." - John 1:47 What if you were in Nathanael's shoes, knowing what we know now, can you imagine The Word of God in flesh, Jesus, saying that about you? Of course Nathanael was slightly (sarcasm included) on a learning curve when it came to the identity of Jesus. However, this man's life warranted this kind of comment from Jesus, out loud - wow! A man of true integrity!
Here, at the end of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:39-42), we learn that her life makes a great impact to the glory of God. "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him [Jesus] because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what
you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man
really is the Savior of the world." The back story to this ending is found in John 4:4-26. Because of this woman's encounter with Jesus she received hope for life and a purpose for life - evangelizing! She was responsible for a good quantity and then good quality of people coming to believe Jesus is "the Savor of the world". First, "many" came to believe in Jesus because of this woman's testimony. But after others got a taste for themselves, the "well woman's" evangelizing was confirmed and they believed not only because of what she said, but also because they heard God's love straight from His Son! What a great kick-off to a evangelistic ministry!
Peter and his future were tied to Jesus. Peter was meant to display God's power and might in his life. Satan had an inkling about this - "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." - Luke 22:31-32 After the Resurrection, Jesus continues to speak about the importance of Peter's life to Peter and says,
"I
tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went
where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to
go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" - John 21:18-19 Many scholars believe this passage to be referring to the way in which Peter would glorify God with his death - crucifixion. Peter actually was crucified, but thought it unworthy to be crucified like his Lord in an upright fashion, so he was crucified upside down. If Peter had ANY idea of what Jesus was talking about, then the next words from Christ are very interesting - "Follow me!" God is going to be with Peter and work all kinds of wonders through him the rest of his life but Peter is going to die on a cross similar to his Lord. Is he willing to go through with "Following Jesus"? We know he did. Would you be willing? I believe the same calling is on each believer's life. The idea is not that we would be used exactly like Peter and then be crucified, but that we would make ourselves available to be used as a mighty weapon or tool in God's hand to His glory, even if it means death. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) And guess what God calls us and we should call Him? "I
no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his
master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything
that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." - John 15:15 Friend.
Finally, we get to another example of Jesus taking advantage of an opportunity to gain God glory. The account is found in Matthew 15:32-38 and the first words that Jesus speaks is a good indication that He is up to All-Good - "Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I have compassion for these people;". And now the rest of the story (nod to Paul Harvey) - "they
have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not
want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish." He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children." Of course, the main thrust of Jesus' life was He and His Father's goal of the salvation of humanity. However, along the way, His life displayed even more to those then and us now as He showed Father God's love through miraculous provision of food (shown above), miraculous healing(s), miraculous raising(s) of the dead, and His marvelous teachings.
After performing a mini-study on the phrase "work of God" I found that it means - a way of life that God calls you to and helps you to execute, as a believer in Christ. The Scripture verses I gleaned this from were - Exodus 32:16 (God's written way of life), Ecclesiastes 11:5 (by our own means we cannot understand the higher plan/work of God), John 6:29 (it is spelled out here - the work of God is... "to believe in the one He has sent"), John 9:3 (the work of God here is His plan and power would be seen), Romans 14:20 ("Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food." Strikes me as "don't through the baby out with the bathwater". Don't throw away what you have spoken into or aided in someone's life by annulling it with a "stumbling block".)
All of this way of life, this "work of God" is for one purpose - for God's glory! This phrase, "for God's glory" and one like it - "for the glory of God" takes all the spotlight off of us and appropriately places it on God. As for us and our lives and the marrying of the two phrases - "work of God" and "for God's glory" - 1 Corinthians 10:31 says it best, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
I am sure many who will read this have had a challenging life. I don't know if you are going through a demanding time right now, but God knows. The great thing about my Lord is that He still uses cracked pots! "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9
I hear a lot of testimonies of situations where the negative comes first then the positive. Sometimes the negative cannot be avoided because of our fallen bodies. One thing I do believe wholeheartedly is you do not have to be starving, injured, sick, dying, or dead to display God's work - God's power and might in your life. It is true that we must humble ourselves. I must remind myself to empty out all in me that is not usable by God so that The Holy Spirit showcases His personality in my life - "see if there is any offensive way in me [gut it out of me please] and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:24. However, with God's help, I believe my life could have a whole lot more meaning and make a whole lot more impact for God and His kingdom WHEN I CONFESS what Jesus says about me in His Word - His victorious promises and His awesome perspective. This is a whole other topic that I could get carried away with, but allow me to give you just one reference - "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37 Right now, before any challenges come my way, I choose to make myself available for God's works to be displayed and/or manifested in my life and claim all the wonderful promises and perspectives God has made over my life. Now you do the same!
After performing a mini-study on the phrase "work of God" I found that it means - a way of life that God calls you to and helps you to execute, as a believer in Christ. The Scripture verses I gleaned this from were - Exodus 32:16 (God's written way of life), Ecclesiastes 11:5 (by our own means we cannot understand the higher plan/work of God), John 6:29 (it is spelled out here - the work of God is... "to believe in the one He has sent"), John 9:3 (the work of God here is His plan and power would be seen), Romans 14:20 ("Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food." Strikes me as "don't through the baby out with the bathwater". Don't throw away what you have spoken into or aided in someone's life by annulling it with a "stumbling block".)
All of this way of life, this "work of God" is for one purpose - for God's glory! This phrase, "for God's glory" and one like it - "for the glory of God" takes all the spotlight off of us and appropriately places it on God. As for us and our lives and the marrying of the two phrases - "work of God" and "for God's glory" - 1 Corinthians 10:31 says it best, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
I am sure many who will read this have had a challenging life. I don't know if you are going through a demanding time right now, but God knows. The great thing about my Lord is that He still uses cracked pots! "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9
I hear a lot of testimonies of situations where the negative comes first then the positive. Sometimes the negative cannot be avoided because of our fallen bodies. One thing I do believe wholeheartedly is you do not have to be starving, injured, sick, dying, or dead to display God's work - God's power and might in your life. It is true that we must humble ourselves. I must remind myself to empty out all in me that is not usable by God so that The Holy Spirit showcases His personality in my life - "see if there is any offensive way in me [gut it out of me please] and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:24. However, with God's help, I believe my life could have a whole lot more meaning and make a whole lot more impact for God and His kingdom WHEN I CONFESS what Jesus says about me in His Word - His victorious promises and His awesome perspective. This is a whole other topic that I could get carried away with, but allow me to give you just one reference - "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37 Right now, before any challenges come my way, I choose to make myself available for God's works to be displayed and/or manifested in my life and claim all the wonderful promises and perspectives God has made over my life. Now you do the same!
Comments
Post a Comment