Greater

 

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to the confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” Hebrews 4:14-16

For centuries, the Israelite nation had a high priest who served in the tabernacle/temple offering both gifts and sacrifices on behalf of the people, who also had the responsibility of offering the yearly atonement sacrifice for the nation. A high priest was required to follow all of the regulations set out for the priests as well as having some additional guidelines. Being a high priest came with many rules and commands.

With Jesus’ arrival though, all those rules and commands are shattered- or rather fulfilled and completed.  So let’s take a look at how Jesus’ priesthood is better/greater.

Old Covenant: Priests are from the tribe of Levi; high priests from the house of Aaron.
New Covenant: Jesus is of the tribe of Judah, the house of David. For this reason, He could not be a priest according to His earthly lineage. Instead He is described as a priest in the order Of Melchizedek. Melchizidek was a priest who met with Abraham. Melchizidek did not become a priest through his lineage but through the “power of an indestructible life.´(Hebrews 7:16) Melchizidek is also described as the King of righteousness and the King of Salem (translated to King of Peace). So if Jesus is a High Priest in the order of Melchizidek, we can assume He also gained this title through the power of His indestructible life as well as carrying the titles King of Righteousness and King of Peace.

Old Covenant: A high priest had to ceremonially cleanse himself before he could enter the Holy of Holies in order to offer the yearly atonement sacrifice.
New Covenant: Jesus does not need to ceremonially cleanse Himself because He is already pure and perfect- without sin.

Old Covenant: A high priest would have to regularly offer sacrifices for himself, to cover the sins he had committed. His sin would mean that sacrifices would continue to be required.
New Covenant: Since Jesus was without sin, He did not have to make any sacrifice for Himself. Therefore His sacrifice was utterly a gift of grace and redemption and the perfect atoning sacrifice, making it a sacrifice once for all. No other sacrifices are now needed.

Old Covenant: A high priest would only serve for his lifetime. New high priests would be designated when the last one passed away. There was therefore a continual cycle of high priests.
New Covenant: Jesus’ reign is eternal, therefore no further high priests could ever be needed.

Old Covenant: God, due to His holy nature, had to be kept separate from the people and so His mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant was kept in a separated room called the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle/Temple. Only the high priest could enter and then only once a year after being ceremonially cleansed.
New Covenant: Jesus’ sacrifice granted us the opportunity to approach God personally, tearing down the heavy curtain that separated God from the people forever. (Matthew 27:51)

With the fulfillment of these old covenant practices, Jesus was able to usher in a new covenant- not based on rules and commands but on forgiveness and a restoration of fellowship through Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that Jesus has become our Great High Priest, the only One who could offer the one sacrifice we all needed and make a way for us to enter into the very presence of God. Jesus freed us from a covenant of laws offered only to a few and replaced it with one better, full of fellowship and grace which is available to all. I, for one, cannot thank God enough for that.

Further reading:
Leviticus 21, Hebrews 7-9

 

Lord,
I must admit I don’t often think about Your role as my Great High Priest, at least not in those terms, but I am so thankful You became our Great High Priest. And unlike any high priest before, You not only offered up the sacrifice that would offer salvation for all, but You were the sacrifice. The perfect lamb offered on my behalf in order to redeem me. I pray that I would live each day walking in the grace and gratitude of this incredible gift and do my part to share it with others.

Almighty

 

“’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘The One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.’” Revelation 1:8

The Almighty God is one with complete, infinite power/strength and unlimited authority. It may be almost inconceivable to grasp what that truly means. Infinite power is a power or strength with no end. Just like when we looked at John 1 and saw that Jesus was eternal, having no beginning and no end, so His power and strength are without ends. Similarly for one’s authority to be without limits, there must be no one above or greater than you. No one who has authority over you. As a mother with a soon-to-be teenager in my house, we have seen the natural desire to be in such a position, but it is not one we were made for. Only one entity can have unlimited authority and that is found in the trinity.

Being Almighty God is crucial if Jesus is to be the Lord of lords and King of kings. He would not be able to be the supreme ruler if any other entity had greater power or more authority than Him. It is a contradiction that would undermine and devalue both names. Likewise, Jesus must be Almighty if He is the Alpha and the Omega. A.W. Tozer points out “that God the self-existent Creator is the source of all power there is, and since a source must be at least equal to anything that emanates from it, God is of necessity equal to all the power there is.” (The Knowledge of the Holy) Jesus could not be the creator of the universe if He didn’t have complete and absolute power.

Isaiah 40:28 states that God does not grow faint or weary. This is another attribute of the Almighty God that we can depend and rely upon. When we exert ourselves physically, we will often find ourselves to be worn out and weakened until we are able to refuel and replenish our bodies. This is not how God works. Exertions do not deplete Him. No matter how much He gives, He remains as complete and powerful as before. He is not diminished in the least. So even as Jesus hung on the cross, His power had not lessened.

Indeed in the moments when some might look and claim He was weak-
when His neighbors and town rejected Him,
when He didn’t rise to the challenges set by Satan in the desert,
when He remained silent and did not defend Himself,
when He was wrongly accused and betrayed,
when He was whipped and mocked
and eventually when He was hung on the cross-
it was in these moments that we see His greatest strength- the strength of His character, the strength of His love, the strength of His obedience, and ultimately His power over the enemy and death.

This month I wanted to take time to “Be still and know” that He is God. Today I see it more clearly than ever. For who is like our God? Who else has the power to give children to the barren woman, heal merely by speaking, or raise to life those who were dead? He is God. Hallelujah! There is no better place to dwell than at His feet.

More Verses to Consider:
Genesis 18:14, Isaiah 43:13, Matthew 19:26, John 11:1-44, Romans 1:20, 1 Corinthians 1:24

 

Lord,
 Almighty One, I am reminded time and again how great You are, how incredible are Your ways, and yet all too often, I still fall in the trap of thinking I can handle life on my own. Thank You for Your boundless forgiveness and patience with me. May I remember Your might and strength, Your infinite power and know You and You alone can lead me down right paths.

Sovereign

 

“These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

Lord of lords and King of kings- these names pay homage to the sovereignty of Jesus. He is the highest authority over all of creation. He is not just the creator but also the ruler above all others. It is to Him we owe our highest allegiance and to Him that we should submit to before and above any other.

What more can I say? Nothing I say is needed. We’ve already been given so much in His word. Take time with each passage and let them be a song of praise to the Lord of lords and King of kings.

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“He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens – far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.” Ephesians 1:20-23

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“Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord commanded it?” Lamentations 3:37

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“How great are His miracles, and how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.” Daniel 4:3

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“It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law; by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges.” Proverbs 8:15-16

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‘I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

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“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:8-9

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“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has ever first given to Him and has to be repaid. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

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“See, the Lord God comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him. He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand or marked off the heavens with the span of His hand? Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure or weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in the scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave Him His counsel? Who did He consult with? Who gave Him understanding and taught Him the paths of justice? Who taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?  …

Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry host by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.

Jacob, why do you say, and Israel, why do you assert: ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my claim is ignored by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.” Isaiah 40:10-14,26-28

Praise the Lord for He is good. His kingdom will last forever!
Praise Him for His creative power.
Praise Him for His mighty acts.
Praise Him for His limitless knowledge.
Praise Him for His relentless justice.
Praise Him for His redeeming love.
Praise Him. Honor Him. Rejoice in His holy name!

ΑΩ

 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End,” Revelation 22:13

The Alpha and the Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so this name is quite literally referring to the first and the last, the beginning and the end. We have already seen in both John 1 and Colossians 1 where the authors affirmed that Jesus was present in the beginning- that indeed for mankind Jesus was the very beginning. Everything exists because of and for Him. The Alpha and the Omega builds upon this idea even more.

As the Alpha, Jesus is the beginning of creation and He is the beginning of each created being- just as we read in John 1 and Colossians 1. Jesus is also the Omega. This means that He is the end of all things. I don’t know about you, but that phrase sits a bit uneasily for me. Our human nature likely rebels against the idea that this world will end. Yet the Bible tells us that this is the case, and at that time, all will have to make an account to God. (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:10) As we see in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus will be the dividing line by which we are separated on the final judgement day; those who believed and followed Jesus will be separated from those who didn’t.

As the Omega, He will be the end of all things as we have known them, but let’s not forget that also means He is the end of death and its power over us. He will also be the end of pain and suffering, toil and strife, violence and hatred, tears and sorrow. For though He will be the end of this world as we know it, with His second coming, He will also usher in a new age with a new Heaven and a new Earth. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me. ‘It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.’” (Revelation 21: 3-6) He will be present at the end of this creation and will be there for the new creation to come. Thus, this end will also be a more glorious new beginning.

So Jesus forms the bookends to this entire creation, but the phrase doesn’t stop there. For also included in the meaning of the phrase is all that is sandwiched between the two and even what is beyond. The phrase Alpha and Omega is truly all-encompassing. This name directly contradicts the claim by some that Jesus set the world to spinning and then stepped back, merely watching us as a disinterested observer. That is not the way of the Alpha and Omega. Jesus is ever-present and as we saw in Colossians, that is to our benefit, as our very continued existence is dependent upon His continued presence.

From what we’ve studied already, it should be evident that we cannot overstress the importance of recognizing Jesus’ self-existence and eternal nature. It is foundational to our understanding of Him. Take some time today to sit quietly with the One who is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Take not this day for granted for we know He will return again.

More verses to consider:
Psalm 90:2, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 48:12-13, John 5:22, Acts 10:42, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 21:6-7

 

Lord,
You are the Alpha and You are the Omega. All things begin in You, and at the end, all things will find their completion in You. Thank you for making a way for us, so that the end is not something to fear but a promise of hope and something to be desired. May we long for the day when we are reunited while not losing sight of the work You have given to us until that time.

Supreme

 

After a few days looking at specific names given for Jesus in the Scriptures, I want to take a step back and look at another passage that is just jam-packed with details about who Jesus is.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross – whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:15-20

I read this passage and there is one word that just kind of jumps from the text—supremacy, but what does it mean to be supreme? Merriam-Webster defines supreme like this, “highest in rank or authority; highest in degree or quality; ultimate, final.” Jesus is supreme in anything and every way we might think of. He is once again identified as creator; this time not only of the world we can see and touch but also of the world that we cannot see. But Paul takes it even farther, for Jesus is not just the creator of all things, but all things were created for Him. If that wasn’t enough, there is yet another layer to Christ’s supremacy as creator since our very continued existence- in fact the continued existence of all things- depends upon Jesus. He “holds all things together.” As the creator for whom all things were made and through whom all things hold together, Jesus has the ultimate control over everything else. That gives him the highest rank and the ultimate authority, and that makes Jesus supreme.

We could stop there and have an excellent argument for why Jesus is supreme, but the passage doesn’t stop with Christ’s supremacy as creator. Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn, the head of the church. God wanted Him to have first place in all things.  I have one child that always, always, ALWAYS wants to be first in line- whatever we’re doing, even when there isn’t a line. She wants to be in front. There have been a few times though when she found out that it wasn’t always best for her to be at the front- like those times when we’re headed somewhere and she doesn’t know which way to go. She can make a decision and feel strongly about it, but no matter how much she believes in her choice, it may not be the correct or best way to go. In those moments, she often finds that by the time she sees her error, she has lost her position and is now at the back of our group and racing to catch up. We don’t have to worry about that with Jesus. As our creator and an eternal being who is eternally present throughout all of time as we know it, Jesus is the best suited and the only one who can perfectly lead us along the right and best path. He doesn’t make the wrong choice. He won’t find Himself suddenly at the back of the group because of an error on His part. He and He alone- as part of the trinity- can be the first in everything without mistake or uncertainty. Jesus is supreme in His leadership and His knowledge.

These first truths about Jesus’ supremacy make the last one all the more incredible. For with Jesus’ obedience to death on a cross and later victory over death, Jesus became the supreme atonement for our sins. He was able to do what no sacrifice before could ever have attempted. He provided reconciliation for everyone who ever had or ever would live. Because of Jesus’ actions on the cross, no other sacrifice will ever be required of us. His atonement is complete and perfect; it is the ultimate and only one needed.

He is amazing; He is supreme, and He invites us to join Him, leave all of our burdens with Him and find rest in Him. How else can we respond than to choose to dwell at His feet?

Verses to contemplate:
Hebrews 1:1-3, Isaiah 43:11-13, John 5:21-23

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

All this and more Lord, we lay at Your feet. You alone are worthy of our praise. You alone deserve the first place in our hearts, lives and world. May we live each day for You, bringing glory and honor to Your name.

Light

 

“Then Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Have you ever been on a cave tour where they turned off all the lights? It is quite an experience. I never truly knew complete darkness until I experienced it in that way. The dark was thick and almost oppressive, but all it took was one small light from a candle or a small flashlight for that to dissipate. That’s because darkness does not overcome the light. The light always dispels the darkness, and with it, the light is able to cast out fears and illuminate the truth of a situation. So it is with Jesus, the Light of the World. If we believe in Him, His presence can remove fear as He helps us to clearly see reality and understand truth.

We must be careful though not to think of light and darkness as equal opposites. They are not. For darkness cannot exist in and of itself. It is not autonomous; it exists only in the absence of all light. Darkness is completely dependent upon the reality of light. Whereas light exists within itself. So it is with Jesus, the Light of the World. Jesus, as part of the trinity, is autonomous. He is dependent on nothing and no one. He exists within and because of Himself. Everything else is dependent upon Him. This does not mean that He intentionally and maliciously chose to force darkness upon those who don’t believe in Him, but the Light is only found in His presence. If one chooses a life without Him, they will naturally be in the dark because they will have chosen for the Light to be absent in their lives.

And that directly leads us to one final conclusion. Jesus is the Light of the World. He is not a light or one of the lights of the world; He is the Light of the World. There is no other light for the world. “If there is going to be a light for the world, it will be Jesus. It is Jesus or darkness. There is no third alternative. No other light.” (John Piper, I am the Light of the World) Jesus is singular; there is no one- no other god- who can bring light to your soul and banish the darkness.

I pray you take some time today to dwell in the presence of the Light of the World. Allow Him to weed out your fears and open your eyes to the truth. Open your heart to His calling and dwell in the Light.

Verses to help us along the way:
John 1:4-9, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 9:2, Luke 1:78-79, Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8-10

 

Lord,
Thank you for being the Light. Thank you for making your Light available to all of the world, doing what no other could do. Help us to be good stewards of your light and do all that we are able to share it with the world around us.

Essential

 

“Jesus said to them, ‘I assure you; Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said, ‘Sir, give us this bread always!’ ‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.’” John 6:32-35

Our culture seems to have a kind of love-hate relationship with bread. We almost all love the idea of bread – the crunchy crust, the soft interior, the warmth… they’re all most satisfying- and yet there are many diets out there that are built on the premise of removing/limiting bread (carbohydrates) from one’s eating. I myself no longer eat gluten after seeing a direct and significant correlation between gluten and the chronic migraines I had suffered from for years, which means my own relationship with bread has become far more uncertain. However back at the time the book of John was written, and even for many parts of our world today, bread was one of the main food staples available and likely one of the most accessible. For many, bread has been the one thing that sustained them when other food sources had run out (mariners, Lewis & Clark, etc.), and here we see Jesus describe Himself as the Bread of Life. As such, Jesus satisfies all of our needs and longings in a way nothing else can. For unlike the bread and food we eat at our next meal, the satisfaction found in Jesus is eternal. It is not a physical satisfaction but one of the spirit. If we remain in Him, we will never know spiritual hunger again.

This reference to bread would also cause the Jews listening to remember when their ancestors wandered in the desert and the manna which God provided for them each day. God provided exactly what was needed for everyone for that day and the Israelites learned to trust God to faithfully provide for them in this way. As the Bread of Life, Jesus is the physical embodiment of God’s providence for His people and a reminder of His faithfulness.

For most of humanity, bread has been essential for life, and with this statement, Jesus draws a direct connection to Himself- letting us all know He is essential for life eternal. May we dwell with the Bread of Life, knowing He alone is the source of our true satisfaction, spiritual well-being and life eternal.

Verses for further study:
John 6:37-50, Exodus 16, Matthew 26:26-29, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, John 1:4

 

Lord,
Thank you for faithfully providing even when we doubt or try to do it on our own. Thank you for giving us the gift of life eternal and providing the way. You satisfy as nothing else can. May we live in that reality and never forget.