John 11:35 Jesus wept.
Jesus was totally God and totally man. When Jesus prayed to the Father it was in His humanity. When He heard Lazarus had died He wept. Knowing that He would raise him from the dead He still wept for the grief that death brought to those who loved him.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
The triune Godhead is a stumbling block to the Jew. We are told in Scripture that we are created in His image. We have a mind, a body and emotion. The Father is the mind and without Him nothing could exist. Jesus, the very Word of God, dwelt among us. Some failed to see Him. Holy Spirit is the very heart of God. We are warned not to grieve Him.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
The shed blood of Jesus cleansed the sins of mankind. It allowed us to stand before a holy God in His name. We live in His righteousness and not our own. God sees His sinless life and attributes it to us. It is finished. We only need to humble ourselves and accept that it is not our good works but His that saves us.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross
Romans 3:23-26 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
All of mankind falls short and our only hope is in the sacrifice of Jesus. He is the justifier of us who place our faith in Him.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Without the shed blood of Jesus Christ there is no forgiveness of sin. Without faith in Him and the work of the Cross to accomplish what is impossible for us there is no hope. He was made in the fashion of men and humbled Himself willingly sacrificing His sinless for us. Only He as all God-all man could offer salvation to the world.
Romans 5:17-21 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The sin of Adam condemned all of humanity. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ broke the bondage of sin that it brought with it. In our faith in Him we receive forgiveness of sin and we live and abide in the grace of God in His name. Carla
Through Adam came condemnation, a word used only three times in the NT, and all three times in Romans (verses 18; 8:1). The word refers to “the punishment following a judicial sentence.” In the face of this, through Christ came the free gift that resulted in justification. That is to say, the aim or goal of the gift is justification, or “righteousness.” In verse 18, the same word is translated “righteous act.” In other words, the goal of the gift of eternal life is righteous living. This does not refer to justification by faith but to the practical outworking of faith through righteous acts (6:16). Thus this verse contrasts the penal servitude of a sinner with the righteous life of a believer.
Here Paul completes the comparison begun in verse 12 between the sinful work of Adam and the righteous work of Jesus. Through Adam came condemnation. Through Christ came justification of life, a justification that produces life. Made means “to make,” “constitute.” As the result of Adam’s sin, people became sinners.
By Christ’s death many will be made righteous (in contrast to declared righteousness; 4:3). That is, believers are actually being constituted or made righteous. Through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, the believer who has been declared righteous by God is continually becoming more righteous.
The Law magnified sin. What was inherently wrong became formally and explicitly wrong once the Law was revealed. In God’s gift, grace abounded much more. The Greek term Paul uses means “superabounded.” Not only can sin never exceed the grace provided by God, sin loses its threat when compared to the superabounding grace of God. The NKJV Study Bible
One man refers to Adam. The gift of righteousness refers to the gift of right status before God. All human beings bear the effect of Adam’s sin. All are condemned to die and fall short of God’s righteousness (3:23). One righteous deed refers to Jesus’ death on the cross. Although Christ’s obedience has implications for the justification of all people, it does not result in justification apart from their acceptance of the free gift (verse 17). The law refers to the law of Moses. Trespass could increase refers both to knowledge of trespasses through the law and sinful rebellion against the law’s requirements. Faithlife Study Bible
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Romans 5:14–16 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many…
1 Timothy 1:13–14 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Here's the deal: I’m in favor of every invitation, affirmation, yes, piece of advice that embraces a simple gesture of kindness and inclusion and healing.
The gift of a meal.
For healing and for blessing.
Rachel Held Evans retells one of Jesus’ parables as a life-giving, revitalizing invitation to come to God’s table: “Jesus once had (a conversation) with a group of religious leaders at the home of a prominent Pharisee. ‘When you give a banquet,’ Jesus said to his host, ‘invite the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.’ He told them a parable about a man who prepared a banquet and invited many guests. When those on the guest list declined to attend, the man instructed his servant to go into the streets and alleyways in town and bring back the poor, the hungry…. The servant obeyed, but told his master there was still room at the table. ‘Then go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come,’ the master said, ‘so that my house will be full’ (Luke 14:12–23).
This is what God’s kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes. And there’s always room for more.”
The gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, ‘Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.’ This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.” (Thank you, Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church)
My friends; Let us be the giver, and the dispenser, of blessings.
Sabbath Moments
