Friday Morning Manna
October 25, 2019 Nathaniel Fajardo
email: [email protected]
The Fullness of the Godhead Bodily in Infinite Humanity
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead (as in “firstfruits of them that slept.” 1 Cor. 15: 20-23), that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Col. 1: 15-20, N.K.J.V.
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power.”
Col. 2: 8-10.
“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Heb. 4: 12, 13.
[The “word” here is either Christ Himself, the Word, the spoken word or the written word, as in “Thus saith the Lord and ‘it is written,” respectively].
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made . . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1: 1-3, 14.
Ah indeed! The glorious glory of the fullness of grace and truth in the Word made flesh!
His Own Disciples Did Not Initially Know Him Enough
As His three-and-a half year work was fast drawing to a close, Christ withdrew beyond the limits of Galilee and from the controlling influences of Judaism and came into the towns of Caesarea of Philippi. During His stay in this region, He endeavored to withdraw from teaching the people, and devote Himself more fully to His disciples.
E. G. White wrote in her The Desire of Ages, pp. 411, 412:
“From the chosen companions of His ministry the scenes that lay before Him were yet hidden; but the time was near when they must behold His agony. They must see Him whom they had loved and trusted, delivered into the hands of His enemies, and hung upon the cross of Calvary. Soon He must leave them to face the world without the comfort of His visible presence. He knew how bitter hate and unbelief would persecute them, and He desired to prepare them for their trials.
“He was about to tell them of the suffering awaiting Him. [Even as the third angel’s message inherently has the same but antitypical message for those who are and will yet proclaim this last merciful warning to the world]. But first He went away alone, and prayed that their hearts might be prepared to receive His words. [Yes, Jesus Himself had to pray to the Father that hearts of His own disciples might be prepared to receive His own words! How much more us!] Upon joining them, He did not once communicate that which He desired to impart. Before doing this, He gave them an opportunity of confessing their faith that they might be strengthened for the coming trial. He asked [a first question], “Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” [Matt. 3: 13, N.K.J.V.]
“Jesus now put a second question, relating to the disciples themselves: ‘But who do you say that I am?’. Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ vs 15, 16. He waited not for kingly honors to crown his Lord, but accepted Him in His humiliation. Peter had expressed the faith of the Twelve. Yet the disciples were still far from understanding Christ’s mission. . . . They did not see their way clearly. The influence of their early training, the teaching of the rabbis, the power of tradition, still intercepted their view of truth. [still true, if not much worse today!]. From time to time precious rays of light from Jesus shone upon them. For a little while their eyes were turned away from ‘the things which are seen,’ to behold things which are not seen.’ 2 Cor. 4: 18. Beneath the guise of humanity they discerned the glory of the Son of God. Jesus answered Peter, saying, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’ v 17. . . .
“The truth which Peter had confessed is the foundation of the believer’s faith. It is that which Christ Himself declared to be eternal life. But the possession of this knowledge was no ground for self-glorification. Through no wisdom or good of his own had it been revealed to Peter [and also to us]. Never can humanity of itself, attain the knowledge of the divine. ‘They are higher than heaven—what can we do?’ Job 11: 8. Only the spirit of adoption can reveal to us the deep things of God, which ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man.’ ‘But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.’ 1 Cor. 2: 9,10. ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him;’ and the fact that Peter discerned the glory of Christ [in His humiliation] was an evidence that he had been ‘taught of God.’ Ps. 25: 14; John 6: 45.”- (end of quote)
Ah, indeed, ‘blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you [and me now!] but the Father, who is heaven and the Holy Spirit, who is here right now on earth with you and me,—Whom both are not of flesh and blood but of spirit, nevertheless are Persons of Deity!
Christ and the Godhead
Understanding that the Godhead is made
up of three Persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is vital to
understanding and appreciating the following truths regarding the eternal
salvation of the grand context of the Gospel as the divine antidote to sin and the
means of obtaining the victory in the great controversy between Christ and
Satan. Salvation is individual and wrought out through the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit—with the assistance, deliverance and protection of the angels
who “excel in strength,” created to be “ministering spirits.”