BUT WE SEE JESUS!
"Self-sacrifice is the high-water mark of love" (Dods).- Robertson's Word Pictures
"Life is the most valuable object we possess; and when a man is willing to lay that down for his friends or his country, it shows the utmost extent of love. - Barnes' Notes
"The most a person can do for his friend is to die for him; such a death is a clear demonstration of love." - The Bible Knowledge Commentary
"One can show no greater regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this is the love ye shall find in Me (Jesus)."- Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary
"...and the Son of God had a right to put himself in the way of danger and of death, when a dying world needed such an atoning sacrifice. This shows the special love of Jesus. His death was voluntary. His coming was voluntary - the fruit of love. His death was the fruit of love. He was permitted to choose the time and mode of his death. He did. He chose the most painful, lingering, ignominious manner of death then known to man, and thus showed his love. - Barnes' Notes
"The excellency of the love of Christ beyond all other love. He has not only equaled, but exceeded, the most illustrious lovers. Others have laid down their lives, content that they should be taken from them; but Christ gave up his, was not merely passive, but made it his own act and deed. The life which others have laid down has been but of equal value with the life for which it was laid down, and perhaps less valuable; but Christ is infinitely more worth than ten thousand of us. Others have thus laid down their lives for their friends, but Christ laid down His for us when we were enemies." - Matthew Henry
Hebrews 2:9 says - "But we see Jesus..." When writing this, the writer of Hebrews did not intend for us to get a simple glimpse of Jesus. He used a Greek word that signifies to look upon with understanding and not with a casual look. It indicates looking upon Him with the awareness that there is something beyond the surface that our minds do not quite grasp.
"But we see Jesus..."
Are you willing to go beyond the surface and really "see Jesus" today?
John 10:11 says - "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
John 10:15 says - "As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep."
John 10:17-18 says - "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father."
John 15:13 says - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Romans 5:6 says - "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Hebrews 2:9 says - "But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
It is so important that you "see Jesus" today - like you have never seen Him.
Whatever you do - don't allow the familiarity of the above Scriptures to cause you to be remiss in delving deeper into their meaning.
You have a "shepherd." His Name is Jesus. In fact, the Scriptures refer to Him as the "Good Shepherd."
We get a clearer picture of Him through additional Scriptures like these -
Isaiah 40:11 says - "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."
Hebrews 13:20 says - "...our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep..."
1 Peter 2:25 says - "...the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
This "shepherd" is called the "Good Shepherd" - "that Great Shepherd" - because He did one notable feat - He "laid down His life for the sheep." This is the definite mark of a "Good Shepherd." He regarded His flock...was willing to defend and save them...hazarded His own life to defend them...gave away His life freely and voluntarily for their sake...gave His soul as a sacrifice to save them from eternal death...died as their substitute...died on their behalf and in their place...and ransomed them from sin, Satan, the law, the curse, death, hell, wrath, ruin, and destruction.
There is no language more emphatic to express the absolute voluntariness of Christ's death than to say that He "laid down His life for the sheep" on the Cross. He didn't just give Himself up to common sufferings, but gave Himself over to the most painful, bitter, and prolonged sorrows - not for friends but for a thoughtless, unbelieving, ungodly, and guilty world. No one took His life from Him - He laid it down freely and voluntarily.
He "tasted death" for all. He experienced death - drank the "cup of death" - if you will.
"Death" was not something pleasant or inviting. It was bitter, unpalatable, and unpleasant for Him. He experienced the bitterness of it. He underwent the piercing agonies of the shameful, painful, and cursed death of the Cross. And He did it all for His sheep.
The Scriptures say - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" and "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Jesus didn't die for you when you were good. He laid down His life voluntarily and cheerfully when you were mean, worthless, vile, obnoxious, and definitely unworthy of such favor with an holy God.
"But we see Jesus..."
The world cannot "see Jesus" as the redeemed can.
"But we see Jesus..."
Are you beginning to "see Jesus" in a way that you have never seen Him before?
Let us ask you one question to see if you "see" yet?
Because you "see Jesus" today, are you at the place where you can say with David - "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waves thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof" (Psalm 46:2-3)?
Can you also say with David - "Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (Psalm 27:3)?
If you are having trouble boldly declaring this, then maybe you really don't "see Jesus" yet as you think you do!
Perhaps you need to cry out to Holy Spirit for a fresh revelation of this "Good Shepherd."
Let's face it, Child of God! If Jesus laid down His life voluntarily and cheerfully as your substitute - and He did - then what in the world will He hold back from you in these Last Days? He's already given all that He can give at Calvary.
Do you suppose then that He will now hold back on His protection, provision, or promises - when He already gave His very life for the sheep Whom He loves so dearly? He has already proven His love for you.
So we ask - do the "sheep" have any reason to fear the things happening in the world today when they have such a "Good Shepherd" looking after them?
"But we see Jesus..."
Oh! How important it is that we do indeed "see Jesus" in these Last Days!
For when the world sees that we are not shaken or moved by what's happening in the world, and wonder why we are at peace and have found rest for our souls, we have one explanation to offer them - "But we see Jesus..." !
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to Daily Bible Messages at - connie@walkingintruth.org
Walking In Truth Ministry | P.O. Box 383016 | Duncanville | TX | 75138
"Life is the most valuable object we possess; and when a man is willing to lay that down for his friends or his country, it shows the utmost extent of love. - Barnes' Notes
"The most a person can do for his friend is to die for him; such a death is a clear demonstration of love." - The Bible Knowledge Commentary
"One can show no greater regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this is the love ye shall find in Me (Jesus)."- Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary
"...and the Son of God had a right to put himself in the way of danger and of death, when a dying world needed such an atoning sacrifice. This shows the special love of Jesus. His death was voluntary. His coming was voluntary - the fruit of love. His death was the fruit of love. He was permitted to choose the time and mode of his death. He did. He chose the most painful, lingering, ignominious manner of death then known to man, and thus showed his love. - Barnes' Notes
"The excellency of the love of Christ beyond all other love. He has not only equaled, but exceeded, the most illustrious lovers. Others have laid down their lives, content that they should be taken from them; but Christ gave up his, was not merely passive, but made it his own act and deed. The life which others have laid down has been but of equal value with the life for which it was laid down, and perhaps less valuable; but Christ is infinitely more worth than ten thousand of us. Others have thus laid down their lives for their friends, but Christ laid down His for us when we were enemies." - Matthew Henry
Hebrews 2:9 says - "But we see Jesus..." When writing this, the writer of Hebrews did not intend for us to get a simple glimpse of Jesus. He used a Greek word that signifies to look upon with understanding and not with a casual look. It indicates looking upon Him with the awareness that there is something beyond the surface that our minds do not quite grasp.
"But we see Jesus..."
Are you willing to go beyond the surface and really "see Jesus" today?
John 10:11 says - "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
John 10:15 says - "As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep."
John 10:17-18 says - "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father."
John 15:13 says - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Romans 5:6 says - "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Hebrews 2:9 says - "But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
It is so important that you "see Jesus" today - like you have never seen Him.
Whatever you do - don't allow the familiarity of the above Scriptures to cause you to be remiss in delving deeper into their meaning.
You have a "shepherd." His Name is Jesus. In fact, the Scriptures refer to Him as the "Good Shepherd."
We get a clearer picture of Him through additional Scriptures like these -
Isaiah 40:11 says - "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."
Hebrews 13:20 says - "...our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep..."
1 Peter 2:25 says - "...the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
This "shepherd" is called the "Good Shepherd" - "that Great Shepherd" - because He did one notable feat - He "laid down His life for the sheep." This is the definite mark of a "Good Shepherd." He regarded His flock...was willing to defend and save them...hazarded His own life to defend them...gave away His life freely and voluntarily for their sake...gave His soul as a sacrifice to save them from eternal death...died as their substitute...died on their behalf and in their place...and ransomed them from sin, Satan, the law, the curse, death, hell, wrath, ruin, and destruction.
There is no language more emphatic to express the absolute voluntariness of Christ's death than to say that He "laid down His life for the sheep" on the Cross. He didn't just give Himself up to common sufferings, but gave Himself over to the most painful, bitter, and prolonged sorrows - not for friends but for a thoughtless, unbelieving, ungodly, and guilty world. No one took His life from Him - He laid it down freely and voluntarily.
He "tasted death" for all. He experienced death - drank the "cup of death" - if you will.
"Death" was not something pleasant or inviting. It was bitter, unpalatable, and unpleasant for Him. He experienced the bitterness of it. He underwent the piercing agonies of the shameful, painful, and cursed death of the Cross. And He did it all for His sheep.
The Scriptures say - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" and "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Jesus didn't die for you when you were good. He laid down His life voluntarily and cheerfully when you were mean, worthless, vile, obnoxious, and definitely unworthy of such favor with an holy God.
"But we see Jesus..."
The world cannot "see Jesus" as the redeemed can.
"But we see Jesus..."
Are you beginning to "see Jesus" in a way that you have never seen Him before?
Let us ask you one question to see if you "see" yet?
Because you "see Jesus" today, are you at the place where you can say with David - "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waves thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof" (Psalm 46:2-3)?
Can you also say with David - "Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (Psalm 27:3)?
If you are having trouble boldly declaring this, then maybe you really don't "see Jesus" yet as you think you do!
Perhaps you need to cry out to Holy Spirit for a fresh revelation of this "Good Shepherd."
Let's face it, Child of God! If Jesus laid down His life voluntarily and cheerfully as your substitute - and He did - then what in the world will He hold back from you in these Last Days? He's already given all that He can give at Calvary.
Do you suppose then that He will now hold back on His protection, provision, or promises - when He already gave His very life for the sheep Whom He loves so dearly? He has already proven His love for you.
So we ask - do the "sheep" have any reason to fear the things happening in the world today when they have such a "Good Shepherd" looking after them?
"But we see Jesus..."
Oh! How important it is that we do indeed "see Jesus" in these Last Days!
For when the world sees that we are not shaken or moved by what's happening in the world, and wonder why we are at peace and have found rest for our souls, we have one explanation to offer them - "But we see Jesus..." !
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to Daily Bible Messages at - connie@walkingintruth.org
Walking In Truth Ministry | P.O. Box 383016 | Duncanville | TX | 75138
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