AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Tuesday – April 13, 2021, Iyar 1, 5781
BE NOT FAITHLESS
Greeting’s sons and daughter of the Most High God and welcome back to The Three Minute Word blog. The Lord bless you who diligently pursue the Lord, pursue Him to do His Holy Words. May He lead us, all of us, who walk in faith, powered of love, led of the Holy Spirit into all of the abundance of the Kingdom of God. Let us all be very aware that He, His Word, must be first in our lives to be a partaker of the divine nature, all of the goodness of God. Otherwise, we leave varying degrees of His provision on the table which were fully ours. All things in the Kingdom of God, starting with salvation, are obtained by faith, powered of love (agape), and led of the Spirit of God. All things (spiritual and physical)! The featured picture today was selected to mirror and augment our text for today. We see the nail scared hands, but in addition we see the broken bread and the goblet of wine. There is some debate about whether the nails or spikes were driven through the wrist or the hands of Jesus. The Scripture here in John and the other gospels is the Greek word specific for the hands not the wrist. Furthermore, the Old Covenant Scripture uses the word specific for hand not wrist.
Psalm 22:16 (KJV)
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Our picture also shows the hands extended as inviting us, you and me (all of mankind) to receive His broken body and shed precious Blood. Jesus is the bread of life, His body broken for us. The wine represents the precious shed Blood of Jesus which cleanses us of all sin and gives us eternal life. Life, eternal life, is in the Blood. This is the Communion Table; it is His marriage proposal to us. He, Christ, is the Bridegroom, we, the Church, are the bride of Christ (Messiah). Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text and read it aloud, yes, out loud.
John 20:26-28 (KJV)
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus is now raised from the dead, the firstborn from the dead spiritually and the first resurrection of a dead body from the dead. Many people have been raised from the dead only to die again, but Jesus is the first to attain to a Resurrection. Upon the Cross Jesus was made sin in our place. The wages of sin are death, first spiritual and then physical. Jesus was the last person subject to the Law of Sin and Death. Scripture tells us He was the last Adam.
Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Notice in the following Scripture that Jesus is referred to as “the firstfruits of them that slept”.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (KJV)
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
The ‘firstfruits’ are the very first fruits of a harvest. Jesus was the foundational member of the Church, the Chief Cornerstone. Jesus is the unshakeable, unmovable foundation, the Rock which does not move. Jesus was the first one raised to spiritual and physical life and then each of us in our order. Jesus was restored to His original condition which was as God (2nd person of God) and thus it is so with us (God’s original intent) in His image and likeness. We are partakers of His salvation.
Let’s turn our attention back to Jesus’ interaction with Thomas. Jesus invites Thomas to examine His hands and His side. Jesus also issues a command to Thomas “be not faithless, but believing”. We can only imagine that Jesus said this with some force, sternness. Is He, Jesus, saying the same thing to us individually or to the Church at large today? The Apostle Thomas finally exclaims “My Lord and my God”.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Until our next publication, as your Bible Teacher and a Prophetic Voice in your life I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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