Friday, September 15, 2023

PLEASING GOD-THE HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS

 

During the baptism of Jesus in Mathew 3:17, God declared that this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. This was before he began his ministry. He was just about to launch in his 3and a 1/2 years ministry when he got this commendation from His Father. He had done no miracle, he had not even had the 40day fast we know in Mathew 4, and therefore it was something He did during the 40 years of ministry that God saw and was pleased. If God can open our eyes to these, we can also follow in His footsteps and God can give the same commendation that He gave to His firstborn, to us His younger brothers and sisters since there is no partiality with God.

1.       He submitted to imperfect authority.

Luke 2:51 tells us that He continued in subjection to them, this teaches us that all the life of Jesus before He was 12years and afterwards, he submitted to his parents and was obedient to them. Remember that Jesus was perfect but Mary and Joseph were imperfect, and yet He was subject to them. In the same way, we also must submit ourselves to the authority God has placed over us if we are to please Him. It maybe at home, that is the parents, or at work, the boss and everyone above you, or at school, the teachers, or at church, the elders, group leaders and the pastor. All authority God places over us are imperfect and have many weaknesses, but always remember that when God allows you to see their weaknesses, He is testing you to see if you will continue to submit to them.

2.       Had a hunger for the word of God.

At the age of twelve we see Jesus in Luke 2:46, 47, asking and listening to the preachers of His day questions concerning the law and they were astonished. Remember that Jesus did not have a bible at home and therefore he must have been very keen whenever He went to the temple every Sabbath to hear whenever that law was read. This hunger continued all His life and that is why even when he was tempted, He had a word appropriate for the temptation He was facing. The reason many believers fall when they are tempted is because their hearts are empty, they have time for everything else except time for reading the word of God. Jesus never had a bible but you have one, what excuse do you have for not reading the word od God.

3.       He was tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin.

Heb 4:15 declares this one fact which is encouraging, that Jesus was tempted the same way we are tempted in every point yet He never sinned. It is therefore important to note that whenever I face any temptation in any area in my life, Jesus in His earthly life was tempted in the same way. This does not mean that He experience the same experiences, but same temptation in the experience you are facing. Fir example, there were no vehicles in His day but you maybe tempted to impatience in the jam or with the conductor or maybe car breakdown when you are urgently needed somewhere; Jesus experienced the same temptations but in different set of  circumstances. Therefore let us go boldly to the throne of grace whenever we are tempted and receive mercy and grace to help us overcome the temptations we face in our daily life. Heb 4:16

4.       He did not please Himself but always sought to please God.

Most of our lives revolves around us, that is, how will this benefit me, or if I take this action, how will it affect in almost whatever we do. Jesus life was different in that He never pleased Himself. Rom 15:3. He also says that he always did what pleased His father in John 8:29 and he did only the will of God, John 6:38 and therefore we ought to change our priorities in whatever we do.

Let us therefore follow our master in the path He trod in His earthly life and we will get the commendation, “I am well pleased’’ from our heavenly Father.

You are blessed to be a blessing

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@blessedmambo

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