Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Scriptures have little
to say about the early years of the Lord Jesus. And the child
grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace
of God was upon him. Next, we see him in the temple.
And it came to pass that after three days they found him in
the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing
them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished
at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were
amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus
dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have
sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is
it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about
my father's business? Even as a youth he had but one
purpose in his mind, which was to do his father's will. His
early years are summed up as he honored his parents as the
Lord demanded in his law, and he went down with them and came
to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all
these sayings in her heart, and Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature and in favor with God and man. Then the scriptures
grow dim as far as information about his growing years. It is
only when we see him turn water into wine at a wedding feast
in Cana of Galilee that the narrative about his ministry of miracles
and testimony picks up in earnest. And it came to pass in those
days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized
of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out
of the water he saw the heavens open, and the Spirit like a dove
descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven,
saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And
Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age at the time
of his baptism in the river Jordan. It is commonly received as fact
that his ministry from that time covered a period of three years.
While the scriptures do not spell this out, scholars have settled
upon this time frame from piecing together various historic events
which are relative to his life. In any event, we can be sure
that his public ministry was relatively short compared with
the length of his life. Thus we see illustrated in his
life a principle by which the Lord is pleased to work among
men. As the Lord fulfilled his appointment with Nicodemus, he
set forth this very principle as he described to Nicodemus
the manner in which the Lord is pleased to bring his people
from darkness to light. What he told Nicodemus, a student
of the scriptures, is that a man cannot learn his way into the
kingdom of God. Rather, this entrance can only
occur suddenly and without warning. The ability to know the things
of this kingdom comes only as the Lord awakens a man. Marvel
not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth.
So is every one that is born of the Spirit. Men cannot gain
this kingdom by natural birth into a certain family of people
that is not of blood. Nicodemus considered that he
being a Jew was already privy to this access, and many even
today assume that their family ties are useful unto this end.
Men cannot gain an entrance here by any ability which they may
possess, that is, nor of the will of the flesh. Neither can
they find an entrance through study or learning that is not
of the will of man. The Lord revealed the blindness
of men in grasping the truth found in the word of God, when
he told the Pharisees, who were studious and learned men, Search
the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and
they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me
that ye might have life. A study of the Bible, though
useful to all, cannot minister any true help to them apart from
the revelation of the one who is the subject and object of
all that is recorded there, which were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
While we see the work of regeneration, that is, being born again, as
a demonstration of the principle of a short work by the Lord,
the grandest demonstration of this principle is seen in the
final words of Christ upon Calvary's cross. We understand that the
Lord Jesus came into the world and lived approximately 33 years,
during which time he went about doing good and fulfilling the
law in his jot and tittle. Yet it is with those final words,
it is finished, that the glory of the kingdom of God was ushered
in, as he completed the work which he came to do, and being
made sin for that remnant which he loved from the beginning.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
Are you in Christ Jesus? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.