Jesus - the Way, Truth and the Life

Who We Are?

What is Faith of Jesus Christ – 

II. Jesus – The  Way and the Truth and the Life  

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend- the Good Friday and Easter….

We were talking about Jesus Christ being the Lord throughout the Old Testament and was prophesised of being a Messiah for the generations to come. And as we were learning about Jesus, I want you to read with me..

Isaiah 7:14-15 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold a virgin shall conceive, and bare a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and choose good. 

Question -Who is giving the sign? The Lord Himself – Jesus Christ…  and do you remember why was Jesus anointed above all the other creations- to be the Lord of all…

Hebrew 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hateth iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Loving Righteousness- Choosing Good, Hating Iniquity – Refusing Evil.

Can you recollect these resembling words to something that we were studying? Yes, at the Garden of Eden,

Genesis 2:17 “But the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

And Genesis 3:22 ‘And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become one of us to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:”

What does these two verses from Genesis implies? Jesus and God knew what is Good and Evil. And now after man sinned or ate the fruit they happened to become one like God; in the terms of knowledge – knowing both good and evil !!!

I have a question here – What is wrong in having the knowledge of Good and Evil? Isn’t actually good to understand the difference between the two so we may work well? So what happened when Man learnt about this Knowledge?

Making a Choice and the Knowledge of Good and Evil are two different thing – Even before Adam and Eve ate the Fruit of Good and Evil – they were capable of making a choice – this means they do have some knowledge, Adam was capable of naming all the animals that we call today. Because of God’s image and communion- Adam was able to move in the knowledge of God’s nature – which in the right word can be described as Good – only GOOD and not evil.

Mark 10:18 No one is good but One, that is, God. 

So apparently for a man to have knowledge of Good and Evil was not as important as we see today in the world – Earthly morals are dependent on the knowledge of Good and Evil.  

Choice doesn’t come only from the knowledge but it is the matter of the heart.  

As the Word says in 1Samuel 16:7b ‘For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

So what is a Choice? Matthew 6:21 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

With the knowledge of Good and Evil man started to look at himself, remember the first thing after eating the fruit they realised they are naked..  Knowledge envelopes one to become selfish but God intends that Man should be covered with Life, Truth and Goodness. That’s why there were two options in the garden – Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil and Tree of Life. Tree of Life signifies Jesus Christ – which is the ultimate Truth – everything exists through him, Who is Good, and Life is only in Him. Jesus treasured God – his heart was in Him. 

As it says in John 10:30 I and my Father are one. They are so intertwined that the separation is impossible. And that is what God also intended for mankind.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

This is the Truth of the Father and the Life manifested in Jesus. Though Adam after falling was forbidden to take from the Tree of life. Yet, God gave them opportunity to be atoned by Life through Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them.

Revelation 5:6a “And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, stood a LAMB as it had been slain ….

Leviticus 17:11 - 'For the Life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have the given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. "

When Jesus did give his blood on the Altar? When He made coats of skins and clothed them... Clothing is the atonement, a covering, a promise made manifest for Adam and the generations ahead. 

Did you see that irrespective of the disqualification of Adam, Jesus chose to become a life saver for the mankind. He sacrificed himself that even Adam and Eve can live a “life”. He atoned them, covered them through His blood. When they were cast out of the garden. Though Death reigned in their spirits yet they knew the redemption of the Lord is done.

For the life of all flesh – its blood is its life.

Can you see When Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice even at the Garden, His blood counted for Life for the generations of mankind? Next we will study about the Blood of Jesus …

Jesus is the Truth and the Life … Halleluiah…. He is the only way to the Father….

Blessings

Tanvi Joseph