{"id":3573,"date":"2015-09-23T00:11:09","date_gmt":"2015-09-23T07:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/?p=3573"},"modified":"2015-09-23T00:11:09","modified_gmt":"2015-09-23T07:11:09","slug":"923-what-difference-does-jesus-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/2015\/09\/23\/923-what-difference-does-jesus-make\/","title":{"rendered":"9\/23: What Difference Does Jesus Make? (\u8bd7110:1-7 \u5f172:1-22 \u8d5b55:1-57:13)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>\u8bfb\u7ecf\uff1a\u00a0\u8bd7110:1-7 \u5f172:1-22 \u8d5b55:1-57:13<\/h2>\n<h2>What Difference Does Jesus Make?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<ul>\n<li>\u2018My life has completely changed. I now look at the world through different eyes&#8230; I feel love for everyone and an inner peace that I never imagined could exist.\u2019<\/li>\n<li>\u2018I had been living my life in a dark hole, I was carrying a great weight on my shoulders&#8230; that burden has gone&#8230; and I am filled with great hope, joy, excitement and love, and all I want to do is to serve Christ in whatever form he chooses.\u2019<\/li>\n<li>\u2018I feel like I have found love and conquered death in one day.\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I have interviewed hundreds of people around the world who have come to faith in Jesus. The question I ask over and over again is, \u2018What difference has Jesus made?\u2019 and the genuine answers above are typical. As we read in today\u2019s passages, the difference Jesus makes is massive, eternal, and impossible to comprehend fully.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<h2>1. Permanent forgiveness<\/h2>\n<p><a class=\"inline-reading\" href=\"http:\/\/classic.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Psalm%20110:1-7&amp;version=NIV&amp;interface=print\" target=\"_blank\">Psalm 110:1-7<\/a>Jesus made forgiveness possible through his one perfect sacrifice for our sins. He was uniquely qualified to do so as the \u2018King of kings\u2019 and \u2018Great High Priest\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus clearly saw this royal psalm of David as referring to himself (v.1, see Matthew 22:42\u201345; Luke 20:42\u201344). It is one of the most frequently quoted in the New Testament. Two lines of Old Testament prophecy come together in this psalm.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>King of kings<br \/>\nAlthough it is about a human king, it points forward to <em>a divine King <\/em>who will be <em>King over all kings <\/em>(Psalm 110:5).<\/li>\n<li>Great High Priest<br \/>\nThe writer of Hebrews quotes this psalm as referring to Jesus (see Hebrews 7:17\u201322) as the one who is <em>the priest forever <\/em>in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4). Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus were Levites. But both were priests \u2013 not on the basis of their ancestry, but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">Whereas the Old Testament priests were temporary, Jesus\u2019 priesthood is permanent: \u2018He sacrificed for their sins <em>once for all <\/em>when he offered himself (v.27). \u2018You\u2019re <em>the permanent priest<\/em>\u2019 (Psalm 110:4, MSG).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">King Jesus, thank you that you made the one perfect sacrifice for my sins so that I can be forgiven and my life can be utterly transformed.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<h2>2. Peace and reconciliation<\/h2>\n<p><a class=\"inline-reading\" href=\"http:\/\/classic.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Ephesians%202:1-22&amp;version=NIV&amp;interface=print\" target=\"_blank\">Ephesians 2:1-22<\/a>\u2018Peace\u2019 is a word that sums up all the blessings Jesus brings to our lives. Christ came and preached the possibility of \u2018peace\u2019 to everyone (v.17).<\/p>\n<p>Jesus is seated, after his resurrection, at the right hand of God, as prophesied in the psalm for today (Psalm 110:1). Being seated implies rest and peace. You died with Christ, were buried with him and have been raised with him and are now seated with him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). You can enjoy his peace and rest as you go about your daily life.<\/p>\n<p>Paul describes life <em>without Christ <\/em>in these terms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2018you were dead in your transgressions and sins\u2019 (v.1)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018you followed the ways of the world\u2019 (v.2)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts\u2019 (v.3a)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018objects of wrath\u2019 (v.3b)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018separate from Christ\u2019 (v.12a)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018outsiders to God\u2019s ways\u2019 (v.11, MSG)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018foreigners to the covenants of the promise\u2019 (v.12b)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018without hope\u2019 (v.12c)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018without God in the world\u2019 (v.12c)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018far away\u2019 (v.13)<\/li>\n<li>separated by the \u2018dividing wall of hostility\u2019 (v.14b)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018strangers or outsiders\u2019 (v.19, MSG).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Paul describes the difference that Jesus makes in these contrasting terms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2018raised up with Christ\u2019 (v.6)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018seated with him in the heavenly realms\u2019 (v.6)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018God\u2019s handiwork\u2019 (v.10)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do\u2019 (v.10)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018brought near through the blood of Christ\u2019 (v.13)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018reconciled to God through the cross\u2019 (v.16)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018access to the Father by one Spirit\u2019 (v.18)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018fellow-citizens with God\u2019s people\u2019 (v.19)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018members of God\u2019s household\u2019 (v.19)<\/li>\n<li>\u2018a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit\u2019 (v.22).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The contrast between the prior alienation \u2013 from ourselves and from God \u2013 and the peace and reconciliation that Jesus brings, could not be greater. It is Jesus who makes the difference. We are made alive <em>with Christ <\/em>(v.5). We are raised up <em>with Christ <\/em>(v.6). We are saved through faith <em>in<\/em>Christ (v.8). It is<em> in Christ Jesus <\/em>that we are brought near (v.13). It is <em>through Jesus <\/em>that we have access to the Father by one Spirit (v.18). <em>Jesus Christ himself <\/em>is the chief cornerstone of the new temple, the church.<\/p>\n<p>The only command that Paul gives us in this passage is simply to \u2018remember\u2019 this amazing transformation that Jesus brings to our lives (vv.12\u201313). So often we can forget that being a Christian is all about what Jesus has done for us, and get caught up in what we are doing. This passage helps us to stop, remember, and give thanks to our amazing saviour for all he has done for us.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Lord, thank you for your great love for me. Thank you that you are rich in mercy and have made me alive with Christ. Thank you for the utter transformation you bring to my life.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<h2>3. Purpose and meaning<\/h2>\n<p><a class=\"inline-reading\" href=\"http:\/\/classic.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Isaiah%2055:1-57:13&amp;version=NIV&amp;interface=print\" target=\"_blank\">Isaiah 55:1-57:13<\/a>The Bible is one long invitation to come to God. In the opening chapters of Genesis, after Adam\u2019s rejection of God\u2019s perfect plan, God calls to Adam with an anguished cry, full of both love and anger, \u2018Where are you?\u2019 The book of Revelation ends with the invitation from the Spirit and the Bride who say, \u2018<em>Come!<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Jesus often invited people: \u2018<em>Come<\/em> to me\u2019 (Matthew 11:28), \u2018<em>Come<\/em> to the wedding banquet\u2019 (22:4), \u2018<em>Come<\/em> to me and drink\u2019 (John 7:37). In this chapter, God once again issues an invitation to come.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Hey there! All who are thirsty,<br \/>\n<em>come to the water<\/em>!<br \/>\nAre you penniless?<br \/>\n<em>Come<\/em> anyway \u2013 buy and eat!<br \/>\n<em>Come<\/em>, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.<br \/>\nBuy without money \u2013 everything\u2019s free!\u2019 (Isaiah 55:1, MSG).<\/p>\n<p>The invitation is urgent and universal. It is addressed to those who are unsatisfied. The New Testament sees it as Jesus\u2019 invitation to us (see Acts 13:34\u201335). In this chapter we see four reasons why we should come to him:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus alone can satisfy the hunger in your heart<br \/>\nWithout Jesus we are thirsty (Isaiah 55:1). We labour for what does not satisfy (v.2). The opening verses echo the cries of those selling their wares in Babylon, the centre of commerce in the ancient world. The message is this: material things do not satisfy. Without God we are always partly empty, experiencing a lack of fulfilment and a feeling of dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>The offer of Jesus is free. It is to \u2018you who have no money\u2019 (v.1). It is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). The promise is that as you come to Jesus \u2018your soul will delight in the richest of fare\u2026 your soul will live\u2019 (Isaiah 55:2,3). Those who come to him are deeply satisfied. God does not offer you junk food, but a feast. His words are \u2018life-giving\u2019 and \u2018life nourishing\u2019 (v.2, MSG).<\/li>\n<li>Jesus\u2019 love and mercy is great<br \/>\nRepentance is necessary in order to enjoy God\u2019s presence fully (vv.6\u20139). It involves turning away from sin: \u2018Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts\u2019 (v.7a). I like the child\u2019s definition of repentance: \u2018being sorry enough to stop\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Repentance involves turning to God: \u2018Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon\u2019 (v.7b). No matter how far we have fallen, God will forgive us. He is \u2018lavish with forgiveness\u2019 (v.7, MSG).<\/li>\n<li>Jesus is the life transformer<br \/>\n\u2018You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow\u2019 (vv.12\u201313).<\/p>\n<p>The immediate application of this passage was to the departure of the Jews from Babylon. Israel was to \u2018go out\u2019 from Babylon and go back to Jerusalem in \u2018joy\u2019 and \u2018peace\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>However, the prophecy will not reach complete fulfilment until the return of Jesus Christ. Then, nature itself will be renewed and restored. We have a foretaste of this now, in this life, but the ultimate fulfilment of these verses will come when Jesus returns, in the new heaven and new earth.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible is not only the story of the human race, but is the story of the whole of creation in which the human race plays a central and crucial role.<\/li>\n<li>Jesus has a purpose for your life<br \/>\nGod\u2019s blessings were never intended to be enjoyed selfishly (vv.3b\u20135). They were to overflow to others. You can\u2019t offer to others what you have not received yourself. But when you have enjoyed a blessing, pass it on.<\/p>\n<p>As Paul puts it in today\u2019s New Testament passage, you are \u2018God\u2019s masterpiece\u2019. He created you anew in Christ Jesus so that you can do the good works he planned for you long ago (see Ephesians 2:10, NLT). Your life has a purpose. Your story is important. Your dreams count. Your voice matters. You were born to make an impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Lord, thank you that you invite me to come to you to drink the water of life. Thank you for the massive difference you make to my life, both now and into eternity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"bioy-body\">Pippa Adds<\/h2>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<p><strong>Ephesians 2:10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018For we are God&#8217;s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>One of the reasons we were created is to do good works. I wonder what God has &#8216;prepared in advance&#8217; for me to do today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>\u8bfb\u7ecf\uff1a\u00a0\u8bd7110:1-7 \u5f172:1-22 \u8d5b55:1-57:13 Wh <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/2015\/09\/23\/923-what-difference-does-jesus-make\/\" title=\"9\/23: What Difference Does Jesus Make? (\u8bd7110:1-7 \u5f172:1-22 \u8d5b55:1-57:13)\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bibleinoneyear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3573"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3574,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3573\/revisions\/3574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}