But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:8-12)
Therein, He read a passage that stated, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, and recover the sight of the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." And He closed the book. The acceptable will of the Lord.
The day of God’s visitation, He takes away the first, while firmly establishing the second. Recall when Jesus had completed all that was required to secure our redemption? He sat down. Here we find Jesus standing, and in so doing, a new dispensation of grace, or unmerited favour commences. In Acts 7, verse 56, Stephen presented the good news of salvation to a group of religious people, laying out these same historical events. Note in Acts 7 that Jesus was standing. The significance of standing is that this was to be the final call to a religious Jewish nation. They were at that moment to be cut off because of their stubborn unbelief.
Saul who was party to all these happenings, was to be met by the Lord Jesus when he journeyed to Damascus. While he journeyed to Damascus, the Lord revealed that Saul, renamed Paul was a chosen vessel to Him. As a result, Paul would now be His Apostle to the Gentiles. Jesus stood up while Stephen was being stoned to death. This sojourning is further expanded upon in Acts chapters 8 and 9.
But the good news is that this meeting led to the complete altering of future events now. The Lord's way is not our way, He looks not on the outward appearance of men. He looks into one's heart. God swung open the door of obtainable salvation to the Gentiles. The Lord redeemed to Himself a believing people, who would be His own people. He is going to call them by His name. These people will be His bride. The Jesus People.
Recall that in the Garden, God said it was not good that man should dwell alone. God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. God operated on Adam, removing one of his ribs. From that removed rib, God made a woman from Adam’s rib bone. A woman to be loved by him, even as he would take care of his own flesh. Why? Because the woman being the bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. Now consider Calvary, when Jesus hung on the roman cross. It is recorded in John 19:33, that one of the soldiers with a spear pierced the side of Jesus. When he did, the scriptures record, forthwith, there came out blood and water.
Without the shedding of His blood, there shall be no remission of sin. We are washed with the water of the Word of God and now we are clean. We are clean through the Word that He has spoken to us. As He said, he that is internally clean needs nothing more than to wash His feet. Peter was admonished of God when God alerted him that what He, God has cleansed we must never call (His believing bride ) common or unclean. We are bone of his bone and flesh of His flesh. A new covenant was established and brought us into the reality of being purchased by God Himself. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God toward us. God’s love being visibly expressed when He gave Himself for us.
The greatest love story ever told. Peace to all who are in Jesus. Stand in the offering plate.
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