How To Find Rest And To Have Thankfulness

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou 

hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, 

and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, 

Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight. 

All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: 

and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; 

neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, 

and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him]. 

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy 

laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke 

upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek

 and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto 

your souls. For My yoke is easy, 

and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:25-30 

     Jesus Christ is no mere example: He is an example but He is more: Jesus Christ is our object of faith. Jesus Christ is the object of our religious faith, therefore an Authentic Christian reposes confidence in Jesus in such a way that it would be out of place in the case of any other than God. Christians, Authentic Christians are those who are committed to Jesus for the welfare of their soul. This is the attitude from the beginning of Christianity and must be our attitude today if we are to have Authentic Christian Faith. It is the Deity of Jesus that the New Testament presupposes, and I am speaking of the Deity of Jesus Christ, not as some religious cults speak of Him. 

     It this central presupposition that any individual asserts or any assertion ought to be approached. Those passages in the New Testament are not some abnormal outgrowth are a disfiguring addition, but are the natural fundamental conception which is everywhere the same wherever the New Testament speaks of Jesus Christ. We not only find this to be true in the four Gospels, especially as the book written by John specializes in revealing that Jesus is God, rather we find this to be true in the Pauline epistles, or any other book or passages. Those passages, those books make it plain  again and again the association of Jesus with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. The way that Jesus speaks of His association with the Father as seen in the opening verses is absolutely fundamental in the  Synoptic Gospels, and asserts the Deity of Jesus Christ. It is the union with the eternal God that is a mystery and yet this is the theme throughout the New Testament.  

     It is true: Jesus as a man is clearly pointed out in Scripture. Yet, John in the opening verse of his book gives us that Jesus is more: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). John continues with this theme that Jesus was God and also points out that Jesus was truly and fully man. Jesus got thirsty, and hungry, and tired, even more He agonized as the beatings took place at His arrest, and then even more, as the nails, those square nails were driven into His hands and feet, the crown of thorns on His head: even more the rejection, the scorn of even His fellow Hebrews. This drastic showing of Jesus as man should touch us as never having been touched before as this is not just man, Man, God, united in One Body, that mysterious hypostatic union. There can be no real debate on this for Jesus lived as a genuine human and He Himself was true man.   

     This is the truth, the witness of the New Testament that presents Jesus as both God and Man. Those religious cults as with the Mormons, and Jehovah Witnesses, those who are Modalists, have no real factual objection to this fact and have to make efforts to reject this fact with their own man-made doctrine. This is the doctrine that the liberal Christians oppose. How? By the elimination of the higher nature of Jesus Christ. They make Him to be some shadowy figure, or some supernatural entity, a super-hero and eliminate the words of Jesus that seem so harsh. There has been and is a reconstruction as to the person of Jesus Christ. There are moral contradictions as to what Jesus said and What and Who Jesus is: God/Man, Savior. Here is a strange thing: Over the years men still love Him, and believe in Him and have not reconstructed a Jesus to fit what they want their savior to be and how they want for themselves to be able to live.

     We have all the reason to be thankful as our Savior has not changed, and our Savior is still in the business of saving, and has eternally made for all who believe in Him to have everlasting life. 

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good

    to sing praises unto our God; 

for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

                     Psalm 147:1

Eat well: enjoy all: be thankful to God

Richard L. Crumb