The Lord of Our Lives .. Baby Jesus?
This is the scriupture reading that puts me into some inner turmoil .. sometimes wondering about who I am or what kind of life I am leading ..
Luke 6:46-49 .. 46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the ]torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
The term .. the word .. “Lord” .. should not be used casually. When that word appears in relation to Jesus Christ, it refers to the God who is sovereign over life and all creation. In the Greek, this title for Jesus is kurios .. One who rules the lives of others for their good. In the Old Testament there is another “NAME” used for God .. El Gibbor, The Mighty God – My God who is the ultimate warrior .. and The Champion .. of ALL BATTLES ..
We use the term Lord in conversations and in our prayers but then contradict its meaning by defying His will and His work in our lives. Our resistance is oftentimes subtle. For example, a believer might qualify his obedience by saying, “I’ll follow the Lord if . . .” or “I want to do what is right, but . . .”Jesus’ question to His followers in Luke 6:46 must have stung their spirits: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” When we entreat the Lord, we must be prepared to obey Him without resistance or pretense. He is the One who rules over us for our good. So you ask? .. Where is He? .. He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3) .. there He is interceding for us as Satan tries to convince us that we are not worth much .. we are always “falling into sin” .. so what’s the use?
Jesus Christ offered one sacrifice for all the sins of mankind, then sat down with the Father once He had accomplished it. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Jesus Christ went to the cross, died the death we deserved, and consequently freed us from the penalty of sin by our faith in Him.
The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that Christ “does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (Heb. 7:27). In the Old Testament, the priests had to make continual sacrifices, but Jesus made only one. And not only was He the priest, but also the sacrifice! He made a tremendously potent sacrifice, for He forever purged our sins .. something the Old Testament sacrifices could never do. When His sacrifice was complete, “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3, emphasis added). That is significant because the Old Testament priests never sat down … there were no seats in the sanctuary because they offered sacrifices day in and day out .. But Jesus offered one sacrifice, finished it, and then went to the Father and sat down. What the Old Testament sacrifices couldn’t accomplish Christ’s did for all time.
As a result, God exalted Him to His right hand, the seat of honor and rule and rest. But perhaps most important, it is the place where Christ intercedes to the Father on our behalf (Rom 8:34)… Don’t ever forget what Jesus accomplished for us .. YOU AND ME .. and what He still does for us: “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
Suggestions for this Christmas Season .. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice on your behalf. Also thank Him for the salvation He has given you and the access you now have to God. We might be remembering His Birth .. we might see pictures of a little “babe” in a manger .. so take that little innocent moment and “ask God” .. ask Baby Jesus .. to help you gain a deeper understanding of Who He Is .. How He wants you to fulfill your life ..