Tuesday, August 19, 2014

War In Your Heart # 33

Victory Through the Victor (continued)

Two Threads in Scripture - The Scarlet - the Golden

Two threads run through Scripture: a scarlet thread that traces the seed of the woman to Jesus, the Saviour; who laid down His life in death upon the Cross; a golden thread that traces the only begotten Son of the Father through the royal line of David, the king, to the throne upon which He sits as Heir of God and sovereign Lord. The scarlet thread speaks of redemption by blood of the Lamb slain and placed upon the doorposts of the house in Egypt for the redemption of the Israelites and thereafter in all the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament until the time when "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) hung upon the Cross of Calvary. The golden thread speaks of redemption by power, typified in the mighty, supernatural victory of Israel over Pharaoh and all his hosts at the Red Sea, thereafter the victory of the Lord over satan and his principalities and power until the Lord Jesus Christ was seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of God, waiting for the time when He would sit upon His own throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Saviour descends to the deepest depths of humiliation and dies on the Cross. The Saviour ascends to the highest heights of exaltation and sits on the throne. From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture unfolds before us this union in One Person of Saviourhood and sovereignty; the one thing which perhaps above all other has presented the greatest difficulty and problem to the devout Jew. How could it be that the Messiah for whom they looked and longed was the Babe of Bethlehem? They looked for One who indeed would be "Christ," born as a Sovereign, even "born King of the Jews" as Herod said (Matthew 2:2). Instead He was Jesus, "born a Saviour" (Luke 2:11). How could they believe that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31)? Yet their own Old Testament revealed just this union of Saviourhood and sovereignty in One Person.

Had there not been a veil over his mind and heart, the devout Jew could not have failed to see the suffering Saviour in Psalm 22, and the exalted Sovereign in Psalm 24.

The New Testament throughout reveals union in One Person of Saviourhood and sovereignty. It was in the angel's announcement to the shepherds on the very day of His birth. It was the very heart of the preaching of the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost.

It is set forth clearly in many passages in the epistles.

Romans 1:3, 4: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Hebrews 10:12: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Please stop here and read Philippians 2:5-11 (a bit too long to quote), which is the most glorious revelation of this most glorious truth.

Especially in the last book of the Bible do we have a matchless revelation of this union in One Person of Saviourhood and sovereignty:

Revelation 5:11, 12, 13: And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne ... saying ... Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne.

The Saviour is the Lord. The Branch that is a bondslave is the Branch that is a King. The Lamb of God, the suffering Saviour, is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the exalted Sovereign. The scarlet thread that leads to the Cross is the golden thread that runs on to the throne.

God's purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord is thus made crystal clear. A Child as born to die, Jesus the Lamb of God, the Saviour. A Son was given to reign, Christ the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Sovereign. The Cross is God's way to the Throne.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 34 - (Two Advents in God's Counsel - The Child came to Die, The Son comes to Reign)

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