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Jesus Rant
Andrea Lende • April 15, 2021
Hebrews 1:3
Jesus Rant
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Jesus-Rant-ev0126
Hebrews 1:3
“He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.”
Who is this Jesus?
Our passage beautifully describes Who Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ is.
He is the version of God we can see.
The Light of the universe made into a Man.
A Man of perfection.
A Man Who showed us God’s mercy, love, strength, power, sovereignty, healing, and grace.
Jesus is glory all wrapped up into one Human Being.
Our passage tells us “He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature.”
Unafraid of living as a mortal human in the humblest of circumstances, Jesus came down to be with us.
He showed us God’s nature in all He did.
He showed us God’s heart when He healed the sick, blind, and deaf.
He showed us God’s love when He held and blessed the children.
He showed us God’s Wisdom when He picked His twelve disciples.
He showed us God’s commitment when He prayed all night instead of taking His sleep.
He showed us God’s abundance and miraculous nature when He blessed the two fish and five loaves which fed thousands.
He showed us God’s mercy when He voluntarily walked toward His captors to give Himself as the final sacrifice for us.
Our verse says that in doing so, He not only saved us from our sins but also removed our guilt.
All this was done for us.
Done so we can live in freedom and not be laden with the burden of our faults, failures, and short comings.
And if all that isn’t enough our verse says He maintains, guides, and propels the universe by His word.
He is Power and Might.
Sometimes I forget just how powerful He is until I am reminded in His Word.
Jesus is powerful yet merciful.
He is King yet humble.
He is miraculous yet simple.
He is Messiah, Prince of Peace, and Savior.
He is all we need for today and for forever.
Today I praise the Name of Jesus and all He Is and Was and Will Be, and I am anxious to be in His presence one day.
May you find Jesus is worthy to be praised today and every day and that He is supplying you with all you need.
Daily Word:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your glory to this earth. Thank You for sending Your Son to show us Who You really Are. Thank You for showing us Your love, mercy, strength, power, sovereignty, healing, and grace through Jesus. Thank You for being Wonderful, Powerful, and Almighty. You are God Almighty. I praise You, Lord. I praise your holy Name! I praise Your wonderful works. I praise Your Wisdom in creating the universe, this earth, the planets, and all the space that holds it. I praise You for the waters covering this earth. I praise You for the sunrises and sunsets. You created beauty all around us, Lord! May my heart continue to praise You all the days of my life. I look forward to worshipping You in all Your glory, Lord. Keep me longing for You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM, and I AM still creating for you and My people.
Response: I praise You Almighty God and Father!
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.