Answered Questions
I love getting answers when I ask questions. It's one of the greatest loves of my life - finding answers, solving mysteries, going on quests, seeking revelations and finding them. I'm the Indiana Jones of intellectual enlightenment. However, not all knowledge is wisdom. Not all information is beneficial. BUT all revelation leads to power. Hopefully I can do an acceptable job in trying to explain what I mean.
In my prayer-time meditation this morning I pondered the question concerning the identity of Jesus when He walked on the earth. I wondered if He knew who He really was and that no matter what came into His life He wouldn't be alone. I mean, those are really the two things I struggle with most in my quest for enlightenment and peace - wanting to know who I am and if I'm alone. Did Jesus know He was part of something bigger; something better? If so, how did He know? Was He just a man, or more than a man? If so, how much different was He than we? Could He comprehend more - being finite yet knowing the infinite?
My greatest achievement is overcoming my humanity, but it's also my greatest weakness. Yet, isn't it also our greatest strength? Though Jesus was flesh, He wasn't human - or was He? As the story goes, He overcame the flesh and all it's temptations - but did He do it knowing who He was? I'm not making light of His plight or sacrifice - but perhaps His strength to overcome came from Him knowing who He was.
Doubt weakens me. Fear weakens me. My strength is knowing who I am, what I'm capable of achieving, and to whom I belong. My weakness comes from a lack of knowing; uncertainty. These are the things I need help with most. I'm not the only begotten Son of God. I have no power, prestige or position of my own. I only have limited knowledge, faith and understanding of "the" Truth. Revelations into these things are what I need most from God. This is what He came to give me - strength that I didn't have before and an identity I didn't know before; to journey on a quest of allowing information to become revelation - that is my salvation.
Those are the questions that fluttered through my heart this morning. This is the answer I received in reply: When I first read this passage, I didn't understand what it had to do with my question, but slowly and surely the revelation of the answer revealed itself.
Mark 6:1-6 -This is the story where Jesus and His disciples went to Nazareth, his hometown, to minister. When he entered the synagogue the people were astonished at his power, knowledge and wisdom.
2And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were utterly astonished, saying, Where did this Man acquire all this? What is the wisdom [the broad and full intelligence which has been] given to Him? What mighty works and exhibitions of power are wrought by His hands! (AMP)
What does this have to do with what I've been talking about? How does this answer the questions I posed? The answers lay within the Nazarene's own words. The people, having seen Jesus grow up among them, saw Him for who they thought He was, based on information they knew, and were not opened to revelation. With their own tongues they called him "Man". Jesus was rejected by His own community because they failed to recognize His true identity. His power was released with the revelation and knowledge of who He was - being able to see He wasn't a mere human, but the Messiah - the Son of God - and who had all authority and power that came with that identity. Knowledge was both their power and weakness; power through revelation, yet weakness through unbelief. They called him "Man"; He called himself "Prophet". He knew who He was. The release of His power was contingent on the amount of their belief. Belief comes from revelation of information and it's understanding. The more information - the more understanding. The more understanding - the more revelation. The more revelation - the more belief. The more belief - the more power. This example is also paralleled with many other stories told by Jesus: the Centurion with the sick daughter, the woman with the issue of blood, the woman and eating the crumbs from the table,etc.
So, in answer to my initial questions: No, Jesus was not just a man - He was the Son of God. He had great power because of who He was - and we have access to His power when we receive the revelation of that information. Knowing who He was endowed Him with the strength and power He needed to accomplish His mission - and through Him, He offers the same opportunity to us all.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
In my prayer-time meditation this morning I pondered the question concerning the identity of Jesus when He walked on the earth. I wondered if He knew who He really was and that no matter what came into His life He wouldn't be alone. I mean, those are really the two things I struggle with most in my quest for enlightenment and peace - wanting to know who I am and if I'm alone. Did Jesus know He was part of something bigger; something better? If so, how did He know? Was He just a man, or more than a man? If so, how much different was He than we? Could He comprehend more - being finite yet knowing the infinite?
My greatest achievement is overcoming my humanity, but it's also my greatest weakness. Yet, isn't it also our greatest strength? Though Jesus was flesh, He wasn't human - or was He? As the story goes, He overcame the flesh and all it's temptations - but did He do it knowing who He was? I'm not making light of His plight or sacrifice - but perhaps His strength to overcome came from Him knowing who He was.
Doubt weakens me. Fear weakens me. My strength is knowing who I am, what I'm capable of achieving, and to whom I belong. My weakness comes from a lack of knowing; uncertainty. These are the things I need help with most. I'm not the only begotten Son of God. I have no power, prestige or position of my own. I only have limited knowledge, faith and understanding of "the" Truth. Revelations into these things are what I need most from God. This is what He came to give me - strength that I didn't have before and an identity I didn't know before; to journey on a quest of allowing information to become revelation - that is my salvation.
Those are the questions that fluttered through my heart this morning. This is the answer I received in reply: When I first read this passage, I didn't understand what it had to do with my question, but slowly and surely the revelation of the answer revealed itself.
Mark 6:1-6 -This is the story where Jesus and His disciples went to Nazareth, his hometown, to minister. When he entered the synagogue the people were astonished at his power, knowledge and wisdom.
2And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were utterly astonished, saying, Where did this Man acquire all this? What is the wisdom [the broad and full intelligence which has been] given to Him? What mighty works and exhibitions of power are wrought by His hands! (AMP)
What does this have to do with what I've been talking about? How does this answer the questions I posed? The answers lay within the Nazarene's own words. The people, having seen Jesus grow up among them, saw Him for who they thought He was, based on information they knew, and were not opened to revelation. With their own tongues they called him "Man". Jesus was rejected by His own community because they failed to recognize His true identity. His power was released with the revelation and knowledge of who He was - being able to see He wasn't a mere human, but the Messiah - the Son of God - and who had all authority and power that came with that identity. Knowledge was both their power and weakness; power through revelation, yet weakness through unbelief. They called him "Man"; He called himself "Prophet". He knew who He was. The release of His power was contingent on the amount of their belief. Belief comes from revelation of information and it's understanding. The more information - the more understanding. The more understanding - the more revelation. The more revelation - the more belief. The more belief - the more power. This example is also paralleled with many other stories told by Jesus: the Centurion with the sick daughter, the woman with the issue of blood, the woman and eating the crumbs from the table,etc.
So, in answer to my initial questions: No, Jesus was not just a man - He was the Son of God. He had great power because of who He was - and we have access to His power when we receive the revelation of that information. Knowing who He was endowed Him with the strength and power He needed to accomplish His mission - and through Him, He offers the same opportunity to us all.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
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