John 8:28, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I Am, and that I do nothing from myself, but [that I] speak just as the Father has taught me.’ The revelation that Jesus is I Am comes precisely in that He does nothing on His own authority, but […]
Philippians 1:3ff, ‘I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…because of our partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.’ In this image I’ve tried to picture Paul’s prayer of thankfulness for the Philippians that essentially spans verses 3-11. First, see that ‘partnership in the gospel’ is depicted by the
1 Cor. 15:58, ‘Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.’ These words about steadfast laboring form the capstone of chapter 15 which focuses on the resurrection of Christ and of His people in Him. What
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Col 3:5-6 [8], ‘Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. […anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk…] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. The ‘therefore’ at the beginning of this passage refers back to 3:3, ‘you have
Hebrews 7:25, ‘…He is able to save to the uttermost the ones drawing near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede on their behalf.’ The author of Hebrews uses two related words here. The word translated ‘to the uttermost’ is παντελής which combines ‘pan’ (for all) and ‘telos’ (as
In Ephesians 6:10, Paul calls believers to be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Any strength the Christian has in the struggles of this life is strength in the Lord (that is, in union with Christ) and is, in fact, the Lord’s own might—just as any vitality or fruitfulness a
Psalm 65:3-4, “When iniquities prevail against me, you atone [ἱλάσκομαι/כָּפַר] for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!” Notice the transition into verse 4, “Blessed is the one…” We move almost
Gen 32:11, “Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me…” Gen 33:4, “But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” In 32:11, Jacob has every reason
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Jer. 30:12-13,15,17 — “Your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous…[there is] no medicine for your wound, no healing for you…Your pain is incurable.” /// “…*I will* restore health to you, and your wounds *I will* heal.” The wound referenced here the wound of and the wound dealt by YHWH’s people’s turning from Him
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Matthew 25:20, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.” What did the faithful servant do with the talents (an ancient measure for money, probably gold) that his Master had given him? How did he turn the five he received into five more? Was it shrewd investment? Was
Ps 4:8, “In peace, I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O YHWH, make me dwell in safety.” Sleep can be the process of rest and waking that we go through every night, but Scripture also speaks of death as sleep (Jn 11:11; 1 Thess.4:13-18). The one who lives in covenant
Matthew 16:25, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” I’ve written a lot on this verse and on passages like it, but it is a truth that I easily forget and so need to be continually reminded of. Living to preserve,
Rev.12:11, “…they have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Satan—the Great Dragon—is decisively conquered when the “Male Child” (Christ) is raised to the throne of God (Rev.12:5), which is to say, when He is lifted up
2 Corinthians 1:8-9, “…we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had receive the sentence of death. But this was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” Disciples of Jesus are not promised an easy time
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John 8:12, “I am the light of life, the one following me does by no means walk in the darkness, but has the light of life.” Jesus says that the one who follows Him will have the “light of life.” I’m taking that to mean “the reality-illuminating revelation of who God is, whom to know
John 19:5, “Behold the Man.” The word used for “man” here can also mean simply “human” (recall that, until recently, “Man” / “Mankind” could mean all of the human race…the same is true for the Greek word here translated “man”). When God Incarnate stands before the judgment seat in the tattered regality of His mock-robe
1 Corinthians 15:20, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Just as the first rays of morning on the Eastern horizon mean day is at hand; just as the first buds on the trees tell us that Spring has come; and just
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1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” One of the foundational beliefs in the present Western world is “I am my own,” or in other terms, “autonomy.” “I can do what I want with my body”; “I can do what I
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Ezekiel 37:12-13, “Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am YHWH, when I open your graves…” The people of God will be raised from the grave of their spiritual exile only
John 17:21, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The identity of God as manifest in the crucified and risen Jesus is the Whole around and in
