Destiny in the Words of Jesus

I read a devotional the other day which pointed out the first Holy Spirit recorded words of Jesus as a boy of 12:- "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"  (Luk 2:49).  His final recorded words in John  19:30 were:- “It is finished”.    From His first recorded response to His mother’s frantic cry, after having searched for him for 3 days, to His final words on the cross we see destiny and purpose fulfilled.  From a boy of 12 with a heart for the Father’s business, Jesus already knew His destiny and was taking it seriously, discussing spiritual themes with leaders in the Jerusalem temple. What an amazing destiny that was completed on that bloody cross in His early 30’s, having lived His life to the glory of the Father and reached a lost mankind.   He lived His life with purpose and vision and He allowed nothing to divert the plan that had already been settled in the eternity until He could utter the final words of His Life, “It is finished” – Father’s business on earth completed for the eternal destinies of those who would follow Him.

This reminds me of the Apostle Paul, who after His radical conversion, also knew God’s destiny for his life and could utter at the end of his ministry on earth, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2Ti 4:6-8)

We all have purpose and destiny in Jesus Christ.   There is a higher calling to just living our life on earth.  It is also to be concerned with the Father’s business and Jesus can be our example of living life this way.  The first recorded words in Matthew 3:15 was in answer to John the Baptist – “But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness."  Righteous living!  Jesus was concerned with living righteously and fulfilling everything that had been prophesied about Him.  John did not want to baptise Jesus, who he knew was the Lamb of God who could forgive him his sins but Jesus wanted to fulfil all righteousness by being obedient to His Father. 

The Apostle Paul recognised the worth of obedience and righteousness when he penned this encouragement for the church:-

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Tit 2:11-14 (Emphasis added)

“I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Rom 6:19

Walking in the footsteps of our Saviour is the call to “deny” ourselves but those who truly love do not find it hard to sacrifice for those of their affection.  Just look at how a man will woo a girl in their courting days.  If they live far apart, he will travel large distances to be together for weekends.  He and she will deny themselves sleep to spend that last moment together.  Yet the sacrifice hardly seems a hard thing, even when the tiredness becomes a battle the next day.  So it is when we fall in love with the Saviour.  We want to please Him. 

Jesus loved so much, He was willing to give Himself and pour Himself out and finally die on that cross so that we could be forgiven and given eternal life in Him.  He lived and He loved and He loved and He lived.

“Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Mat 22: 37-40 

The Apostle Paul, whose revelations came from Jesus Christ Himself, was quick to tell us that if we do not love, we are nothing (1 Cor 13:2) and that we are to pursue love (1 Cor 14:1).  In other words, we are to look for ways to love others and to come up higher in our love walk.

“Let all that you do be done with love.” 1Co 16:14 

It is in loving that we find living because God made us to give and receive love.  We are never happier than when we actively show kindness, friendliness and love to others and to God.  This is how Jesus lived, giving up His very life in the ultimate act of Love.

This 2014, let us try to walk practising loving others for doing so, in obedience to the Father, we shall help to make this world a better place and show others that we are His disciples.  The love walk is not an easy road but Christ has not left us alone to struggle and His promise to us is:-

Act 1:8  “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Let us lean on the Holy Spirit’s power for He is the One who sheds His love abroad in our hearts and we can ask Him to show us the way and help us to love even the “unlovable” in Jesus name, remembering that no one is out of the reach of the Father’s love.