The Seven Last Words of Jesus

When someone dies, don’t we like to talk about the person’s last words?  It gives us insight into what mattered to them when they knew that there was nothing else awaiting them in this world but death. In the past, I have found it interesting to read accounts of the experiences and last words of various saints immediately before their death, as well as those of wicked people. But today I want to talk about the famous last words of our Savior and Redeemer, the One who gave His life for all mankind.

There were seven things Jesus said as he hung on the cross.  They offer us deep insight into His great heart.  One is recorded in Matthew's gospel, three in Luke's, and three in John's. Here they are under seven headings that describe what occurred when He said them:

Forgiveness Full and Free

The first of Jesus' last words is about forgiveness full and free.

But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luk 23:34).  

All we need to do is read Psalm 31 to see what the righteous human normally wants for their enemies.  The psalmist said, “…Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.  (Psa 31:17-18).  Any one of us would be inclined to wish these things upon the wicked who would persecute us unjustly.  Yet Jesus had such a big heart of love and mercy that he resisted that temptation to curse them back.  Instead He prayed for them that they might be forgiven.

Assurance of Salvation

The second of Jesus' last words is about receiving from Him an assurance of salvation.

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luk 23:43).

Here was an admitted thief, who had broken God’s commandment not to steal.  Yet Jesus assured him of his salvation.  We can observe this man’s repentance and faith in Christ very plainly.  It’s clear that he had remorse for his own sin, he openly acknowledged it, and accepted the punishment being meted out to him as fair.  He said in his penitence, "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."  (Luk 23:41)  

Notice how he also declared Jesus innocent as well when he said, “this man has done nothing wrong.”  And he confessed Jesus' Lordship when he asked Jesus to remember him in His kingdom.  And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"  (Luk 23:42). It’s clear this man considered Jesus Lord and King. He actually believed that the sign over Jesus head on the cross was true, which said, “King of the Jews.”  And for his repentance and faith in Christ, Jesus granted him salvation.  His sins were immediately washed away and he received the promise that he would be with Jesus that same day in Paradise!  

This is the power of God for salvation.  Jesus saves the vilest sinner instantly and perfectly.  And without any further opportunity to express his faith with ceremonies or good deeds, he went on to be with Jesus in Paradise that same day when he died.  This shows us that when we repent and believe in Jesus, we can be assured of our eternal destiny.

Caring for His Mother

The third of Jesus' last words is about Him caring for His mother.

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He *said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. (Joh 19:26-27).

It’s normal for people to think of themselves first when they are suffering.   It’s normal for sinful humans to forget about what others might be going through when we are in dire straits ourselves.  But Jesus did not do this.  As He hung there in pain, bearing the weight of our sin, He thought of Mary’s needs.  Her heart was being pierced by what she saw that day.  She was old and had become a widow.  As the oldest son, it was Jesus responsibility to take care of his mother.  We know He had brothers, and we know they eventually came to put their faith in Jesus, but the Scriptures tell us here that Jesus entrusted his closest disciple, John, with the responsibility to care for Mary as his own mother from that point on.

This is such a great example for us to follow.  When we are suffering, do we think only of ourselves, or do we look out for the needs of others who are also suffering?  We should especially look out for widows and most especially our own parents.

God Forsaken by God

The fourth of Jesus' last words is about Him being forsaken by God His Father. 

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  (Mat 27:46).

In his humanness, Jesus cried out asking God why He had forsaken Him.  This was the moment that God was forsaken by God. Consider it.

If Jesus was praying silently in His Spirit through Psalm 31 as he hung on the cross, as I believe He may have been, then we can gain insight into Jesus words here to the Father about being forsaken.  The psalmist wrote: “As for me, I said in my alarm, ‘I am cut off from before Your eyes’; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You.” (Psa 31:22)  While Jesus said this to the Father in His alarm, the Father had not forsaken Him and heard the voice of Jesus' supplications when He cried to Him.  

We know the very nature of God is faithfulness to never leave nor abandon us.  The psalmist said: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up.” (Psa 27:10) He says, “For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.” (Psa 94:14).

From these Scriptures, we can assume the Father did not leave or forsake Jesus, although for Jesus it probably felt like he had in fact been forsaken when he hung on the cross.  Although he had never sinned, he bore the full weight of all our sin upon him on the cross.  He surely must have felt completely forsaken and alone, which is a most terrible feeling.  

We can learn from this ourselves.  At some point, we all wonder if the Lord is still with us.  When we have sinned, we sometimes feel this way, as though God has deserted us.  But we can always remember that nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:35-38) and he will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Mt 28:20), just as He promised.

He Thirsted

The fifth of Jesus' last words is about Him being thirsty.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, "I am thirsty." (Joh 19:28)

Note that it was only after Jesus knew all things had been accomplished that He talked about his own physical suffering. Prior to that point, although He was certainly in a tremendous amount of pain, He never said, "My back hurts," or made any other such complaint. 

He was most likely very thirsty for quite some time, since he had probably not drank anything since the Passover Supper the previous night. He had lost copious amounts of bodily fluid through his beatings, his long journey up Golgotha hill, and His crucifixion.  Blood, sweat, and tears had poured from his body.  Now He finally spoke up about it at the very end.  

Again, it’s natural for us to talk about our own needs when we are suffering.  This is normal.  We desire to receive help from others to meet these needs, so we tell people about them.  But Jesus put the need to fulfill Scripture and the Father’s will above his own basic human need for a drink of water.  That’s love.  That’s obedience.  That’s commitment.  What an example for us when the Lord shows us what we are to do for Him. His will and purpose comes before even our own basic needs, and sometimes fulfilling those needs must be delayed until we have accomplished the mission He has given us to carry out.

A Finished Work

The sixth of Jesus' last words is about Him finally completing all that the Father sent Him to do, fulfilling all that was written in Scripture about His death.

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (Joh 19:30)

Here we learn that Jesus left absolutely nothing unfinished.  Every last thing the Father commanded Him to do was completed.  There were no loose ends left undone when He died.  

We learn from Hebrews that Jesus, “having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

No further sacrifice needs to be offered for sins.  The work of Calvary is a finished work.  For those who repent and believe in Jesus, there is no further sacrifice necessary for their sins than the one Jesus paid on the cross.  

And we know we’ve been perfected by it, too.  “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  (Heb 10:14)

By one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected us for all time.  

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (Heb 7:26-27)

The sacrifice of Jesus was made only once and it was made for all.   This gives us great faith when we come to Him that we can put our trust in his finished work at Calvary.  There’s no need to continue offering up more sacrifices and no need to fear that we will some day need to pay further for our sins after we die. It is finished.

He Gave His Life

The seventh of Jesus' last words is about Him offering His life up to God on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, proving that no one took His life, but that He gave it.

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luk 23:46).

If Jesus had truly held onto the belief that the Father forsook him, why would He have finally prayed this way to the Father?  He had no new evidence that the Father was still with Him!  Yet in spite of that, His very last act of obedience on the cross was when He committed His Spirit to the Father. That’s the kind of faith that pleases God (for more on the faith of Christ, please see Faith in Action).

When we go through trials of many kinds, we are tempted to give up praying.  But Jesus did not give up in the very darkest moment of all. He knew He could entrust Himself to His Father’s heart in the very face of death itself.  Right to the very end, He was clinging to God with a right heart.

We also learn from these very last words of Jesus that no one took Jesus life from Him, as I said. The devil certainly did not take it. He laid it down of His own accord, as He told His disciples in advance that He would do:

"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (Joh 10:17-18)

Jesus freely went to the cross, and in the end He gave up His own Spirit to the Father.  

Putting it All Together

We learn from these seven last words of Jesus the following truths:

1. Jesus’ forgiveness is full and free.  Just as he forgave His enemies when they persecuted Him, he forgives us of all our sin.  And we should forgive others no matter what they’ve done.

2. Jesus wants us to have an assurance of our eternal destiny. When we repent and put our trust in Him to save us, we have an assurance that we will go straight to heaven when we die.

3. Jesus fulfilled His responsibility to take care of his mother.  We should especially look out for widows and most especially our own parents.

4. Jesus will never leave nor forsake those who trust in Him, even when we feel abandoned by God.

5.  Jesus thirsted.  He was tempted and tried in every way, just as we are, yet without sin.  Only after Jesus knew all things had been accomplished did He talk about his own physical suffering.  His will and purpose comes before even our own basic needs, and sometimes fulfilling those needs must be delayed until we have accomplished the mission He has given us to carry out.

6. Jesus gave His life.  He was not a victim.  His very last act of obedience on the cross was when He committed His Spirit to the Father.  That’s the kind of faith that pleases God.  When we go through trials of many kinds, we are tempted to give up praying.  But Jesus did not give up in the very darkest moment of all. He knew He could entrust Himself to His Father’s heart in the very face of death itself.  Right to the very end, He was clinging to God with an obedient heart.

7.  Jesus’ work on Calvary is a finished work.  No further sacrifice needs to be offered for sins.  For those who repent and believe in Jesus, there is no further sacrifice necessary for their sins than the one Jesus paid on the cross.  By one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected us for all time.  

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures quotations taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Graphic image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Faith in Action, Is Jesus God?, Three Stages of Christ's Earthly Mission, Coronation of Christ as King, Supremacy of Christ, The Sinlessness of Christ, The Son of Man.  You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what G-d's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of G-d, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Three Stages of Jesus' Earthly Mission

Many people who try to argue that Jesus is not God have failed to understand that there were three stages to Jesus' mission on earth. Let's review those together from Scripture: 

1. Self-Humiliation

The first stage was His self-humiliation. This is the one that many people overlook or fail to understand when they erroneously deny the deity of Christ. They try to argue that if Jesus had to pray to God, then He could not be God. They also argue that if He could die, then He cannot be God, since God cannot die. But let me explain it to you like this.

The Word was with God and was God eternally, but then the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. This is called the incarnation. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (Joh 1:1-3,14)

In order for that to happen, the Word had to empty Himself of all His glory (including all of His divine attributes). That is called the kenosis or emptying (Phil 2:7), which was part of His humiliation. 

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." (Php 2:5-7)

Notice that Paul said Christ emptied Himself. That word "emptied" comes from the Greek word "kenoo" meaning to abase or to empty. The word "kenoo" comes from the Greek word "kenos", which is where we get the English theological term kenosis. We use the word kenosis to refer to the fact that Christ first emptied Himself of all His glory.

Thus He limited Himself in His human form to the same limitations every person has, so that He could be tempted in every way just as we are yet without sin (Heb 4:15). He was the divine Son of God completely dependent upon the Heavenly Father for everything. He only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). He only said what the Father commanded Him to say (Joh 12:49). And in the garden of Gethsemane, He suffered under the weight of what He was about to go through, which was to carry all the sins and infirmities of the whole world in His body on the cross, and feel complete separation from the Father (Mat 27:46). But each time He prayed about it, He submitted to the Father's will and said to Him, "Yet not as I will, but as You will" and "...My Father... may your will be done." (Mat 26:39,42; cf. Lk 22:42). Hence He did go to the cross and die for the sins of all mankind, which was the Father's will. For it was the Lord's will to crush Him (Isaiah 53:10). 

His humiliation also included His experiencing temptation (Mt 4), experiencing hunger, thirst, fatigue, rejection, suffering, rejection, betrayal, His passion, shame, disgrace, being beaten and spat upon, His crucifixion, and death. All of that was part of His humiliation. All four gospels record this historical fact that He was crucified, died, and was buried (Mat 27; Mk 15; Lk 23; Joh 19). 

Some people mistakenly think that Jesus did all of His miracles simply by virtue of the fact that He was God. But that is not true. Scripture tells us that after He was baptized in water, He received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is how He became endued with power. He did all of His miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same way that we do them by faith in Jesus' name as His followers. He showed us the way that we should walk in all things including this.

2. Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the second stage of His earthly mission, and it is well documented in all four gospels (Mt 28; Mk 16; Lk 24, and Jn 20), as well as the epistles and the Apocalypse of John. He is the One who was dead and behold He is alive forever and ever (Rev 1:18). He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Rev 22:13). And He still refers to the Father in Heaven as "My God" (Rev 3:2, 12).

After His resurrection, He appeared to many people. The apostle Paul summarizes these appearances:

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." (1Co 15:3-9).

His appearances did not end with the ones recorded in Scripture. He has continued to appear to many people in these last days, including to many Muslims around the world and others from all nations.

3. Exaltation

The exaltation of Christ is the third stage of His earthly mission, which includes his ascension into heaven, His glorification, and His coronation as King of Kings, where He sat down at the right hand of God. This is also well documented in Scripture, including in the gospels (Mk 16:19; Lk 24:51) and the epistles (Heb 10:11-14; Acts 7:55–56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Rev 3:21). Paul puts it like this:

"Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:8-11).

That last part of the passage speaks of the fact that He is coming back again as Judge of all men. 

Closing Words

I have explained from Scripture that there were three stages to Christ's earthly mission, which included His self-humiliation, His resurrection, and His exaltation. Moreover, I have emphasized that His self-humiliation included His kenosis, incarnation, temptation, suffering, rejection, betrayal, crucifixion, and death. I have also explained that His exaltation included His ascension, glorification, and enthronement at God's right hand. But let us never forget that He is also coming back to judge the earth in righteousness. I pray that He would find me ready on that day, and hope the same is true for you, too.

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures quotations taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Graphic image courtesy of Eric Echols, used per the Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Is Jesus God?, Coronation of Christ as King, Supremacy of Christ, The Sinlessness of Christ, The Son of Man, and Christ's Two Ascensions. I also recommend my daughter Charity's music video called Coronation in Jerusalem. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what G-d's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of G-d, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Name Above All Names

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture speaks about the name of the Lord, which is a unique name unlike any other. I would like to cover some of those passages here in this article, so get ready, because this is going to be powerful.

Men began to call on the Lord's name
It was in the days of Seth's son Enosh that men began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Gen 4:26). This is interesting, since Enosh was the third generation from Adam, so it seems like it took a while before this practice started. Of course, Adam had a relationship with the Lord God, and before the fall, God would walk in the garden during the cool of the day and talk with Adam (Gen 3:8). Later on after the fall, Adam's son Abel sacrificed offerings to the Lord. But the first reference to men in general calling upon the name of the Lord was during the days of Enosh.

His Name is Immanuel
The name Immanuel means "God with us", and that is the name of Jesus, who was born of a virgin. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isa 7:14).

He'll Be Called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father...
The prophet Isaiah foretold, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)

From the Womb He Has Spoken My Name
God actually spoke the name of Jesus while He was still in the womb. Isaiah prophesied about Christ with these words:

"Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called Me; from my mother's womb He has spoken My name." (Isa 49:1)

This passage is part of the Servant Song about the Messiah beginning in Isaiah 42, which some people mistakenly assume is referring to Israel or to the prophet Isaiah. The things that are said of the Lord's Servant indicate that they are speaking of Christ.

His Name is Jesus (Yeshua)
The angel Gabriel gave this news to the virgin Mary:

"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.'" (Luk 1:30-31)

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived." (Luk 2:21)

Salvation in His Name

Paul the apostle wrote that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved:

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom 10:9-13)

Peter said on the day of Pentecost who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved:

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Act 2:21)

He was quoting the prophet Joel who said:

"And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls." (Joe 2:32)

In the passage from Joel, the fact that the Bible publisher printed the name of the LORD all in CAPS means that the original Hebrew word in this passage is YHWH or Yehova (also spelled Jehova). Thus we see in Joel that everyone who calls upon the name of Yehova will be saved, and Peter cites this passage with reference to the Lord Jesus, which indicates that Jesus is Yehova.

My Name is the LORD
Yehova says, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." (Isa 42:8). Again, the fact that LORD is all in CAPS means that the Hebrew word is Yehova, so He is saying, "I am Yehova; that is My name!"

Protection by the Power of the Name Given to Jesus by the Father
In His high priestly prayer on the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed to the Father:

"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled." (Joh 17:11-12)

From this passage we learn that the name of Jesus is also the Father's name, which the Father gave to Him. During His days on earth, Jesus protected His disciples by that name, and now He was praying that after His departure from this world that the Father would continue to protect His disciples by that same name.

Likewise, David wrote: "May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you." (Psa 20:1)

The Name Above All Names
The apostle Paul wrote that the Father gave to Jesus the name above all names:

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:9-11)

No Other Name by which to be Saved
Peter said that salvation is found in no other name:

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12)

Preaching Repentance and Forgiveness in Jesus' Name
Jesus said: "repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luk 24:47)

Repent and be baptized in His Name for the Forgiveness of Your Sins
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Act 2:38)

Life in His Name
The apostle John said that by believing in Jesus as the Messiah, you may have life in His name.

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." (Joh 20:31)

Cast out Demons, Heal the Sick, Speak in Tongues, Do Miracles in Jesus' Name
Here are the signs that follow those who believe in the Lord:

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18)

Healing in Jesus' Name
Peter said of the lame man who was healed:

"By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." (Act 3:16)

"...then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." (Act 4:10)

Those Who Call on His Name
Ananias was the brother who laid hands on Saul of Tarsus when he first came to Christ. Up to that point Saul had been persecuting those who call on the name of Jesus.

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." (Act 9:13-14)

Suffering for the Name of Jesus
The Lord told Ananias that Saul, later called Paul, would suffer for the name of Jesus:

"But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.'" (Act 9:15-16)

Endure Hardships for His Name
We must endure hardships for Jesus' name. Jesus told the Church in Ephesus:

"You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary." (Rev 2:3)

Remaining True to His Name
We must remain true to Jesus' name. He said to the Church in Pergamum:

"I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives." (Rev 2:13)

Don't Deny His Name
We must not deny His name. Jesus said to the Church in Philadelphia:

"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." (Rev 3:8)

Ask the Father in Jesus' Name
"Jesus promised His disciples He would do whatever they ask the Father in His name:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (Joh 14:12-14)

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (Joh 15:16)

"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (Joh 16:23-24)

"In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Joh 16:26-27)

Not Everyone Who Calls Him Lord Enters the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus warned us that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Mat 7:21-23).

Notice that He said many people who call Jesus their Lord, who prophesy in His name and cast out demons in His name, will not enter the kingdom of heaven, because they are evildoers in His sight, who do not do the will of the Father in heaven.

Purified Lips to Call Upon His Name
The Lord said we need purified lips in order to call upon His name:

"Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder." (Zep 3:9)

Jesus is Present Where Two or Three Gather in His Name
Jesus said He would be present whenever two or three gather in His name:

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Mat 18:20)

Beware of False Christs Coming in Jesus' Name
Jesus warned: "For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many." (Mat 24:5; cf. Mar 13:6; Luk 21:8)

Welcome Little Children in Jesus' Name
Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." (Mar 9:37; cf. Luk 9:48)

Those Doing Miracles in Jesus' Name
"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me," (Mar 9:39)

Give a Cup of Water in Jesus' Name
Jesus said that He would surely reward those who give a cup of water to one of His disciple because they belong to Him. He said:

"Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward." (Mar 9:41)

The Father Sends the Spirit in Jesus' Name
Jesus said the Father would send the Spirit in Jesus' name. He said:

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (Joh 14:26)

Pronouncing Blessings in His Name
The Levite tribe pronounced blessings in the name of the Lord and we should do so, too, if we know the Lord.

"At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today." (Deu 10:8)

Speaking in His Name
The prophets of the Lord spoke and prophesied in His name.  Jeremiah said he could not keep from speaking the word in the Lord's name:

"But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." (Jer 20:9)

Living Securely in His Name
"I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will live securely," declares the LORD. (Zec 10:12)

Believe in His Name
If you believe in Jesus' name, God gives you the right to become His child. John wrote:

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—" (Joh 1:12)

Many Believed in His Name
In the early days of Jesus' earthly ministry, many believed in His name.

"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name." (Joh 2:23)

Saved by His Name
David prayed, "Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might." (Psa 54:1)

"Then I called on the name of the LORD: 'LORD, save me!'" (Psa 116:4)

Put Your Hope in His Name
"In his name the nations will put their hope." (Mat 12:21)

Our Help is in His Name
David prayed, "Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psa 124:8)

His Name is Good
"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psa 52:9)

His Name is Majestic
David sang: "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens." (Psa 8:1)

His Name is Exalted
"Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens." (Psa 148:13)

His Name Reaches To The Ends Of The Earth
"Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness." (Psa 48:10)

His Name Endures Forever
Solomon prayed, "May His name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed." (Psa 72:17)

His Name is Holy
David prayed, "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion," (Psa 103:1-4)

Since His name is holy, and since it is in His name that we have all these benefits -- like forgiveness of sins, healing from diseases, redemption from the pit, and being crowned with love and compassion -- we should praise His name.

Seek His Name
Asaph prayed, "Cover their faces with shame, LORD, so that they will seek your name... Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth." (Psa 83:16, 18).

Love His Name
The Lord promised a blessing upon those who love His name. He promised to bring them to His holy mountain, to give them joy in His house of prayer, and to accept their offerings and sacrifices on His altar. He said:

"And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isa 56:6-7).

Notice that these people don't simply love His name, they bind themselves to Him 1) to minister to Him, 2) to love His name, and 3) to be His servants; they keep His Sabbath without desecrating it and they hold fast to His covenant.

Praise His Name with Dancing
"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp." (Psa 149:3)

Praise His Name in Song
David said, "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." (Psa 69:30)

"Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant." (Psa 135:1-3)

Praise His Name
David prayed, "I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame." (Psa 138:2)

"Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore." (Psa 113:2)

Extol His Name Forever
"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever." (Psa 145:1-2)

Rejoice In His Name All Day Long
Ethan the Ezrahite prayed, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, LORD. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness." (Psa 89:15-16)

Glory In His Holy Name
We should glory in His holy name and proclaim His name:

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced," (Psa 105:1-5)

To His Name Alone Be the Glory
"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psa 115:1)

Putting it All Together
The name of Jesus is the most wonderful of all names. Scripture teaches us that His name is Immanuel -- God with us. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. From the time He was in the womb God has spoken His name, which is Jesus (Yeshua), the name above all names. There is no other name by which we must be saved. Salvation is found in His name, which is Yehova (Jehova).

We preach repentance and forgiveness in Jesus' name, telling all men that they must repent and be baptized in His name for the forgiveness of their sins. We cast out demons, heal the sick, speak in tongues, and do miracles in Jesus' name. There is life in His name, healing in His name, and deliverance in His name.

All of us who truly follow Jesus are those who call on His name. Many believe in His name. However, not everyone who calls Him "Lord" enters the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven. We must suffer for His name, endure hardships for His name, remain true to His name, ask the Father in His name. We must not deny His name.

God purifies our lips so that we may call upon Jesus' name. Jesus is present where two or three gather in His name. We must beware of false Christs coming in His name. We must welcome little children in Jesus' name. When we give a cup of water to a disciple of Christ in Jesus' name, we will not lose our reward for it.

The Father sends the Spirit in Jesus' name, so ask Him to do so. We pronouncing blessings in His name, we speak in His name, we live securely in His name, we believe in His name, we are saved by His name, we put our hope in His name. Our help is in His name.

His name is holy, it is good, it is majestic, it is exalted, it reaches to the ends of the earth, it endures forever. We seek His name and love His name. We praise His name, even with dancing and songs. We extol His name forever. We rejoice in His name all day long. We glory in His holy name. To His name alone be the glory.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.The image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to read my articles The Name of Jesus, Jesus is Yehova, If My People Who Are Called by My Name, The Titles of Christ, Repentance That Leads to Life, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Lifting Hands in Prayer. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Coronation of Christ as King

Long ago the prophet Zechariah foretold how the king of Israel would come into Jerusalem. He was very specific, so that there could be no mistaking someone else for Him.

The Prophecy of the Coming King
Zechariah wrote:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zech 9:9).

Let's look at each element of this prophecy. It is addressed to the Daughter of Zion, the Daughter of Jerusalem, which obviously refers to Israel and the Hebrews, particularly those living in Jerusalem. They are commanded to rejoice greatly and shout in triumph as they behold their King (Heb., melech) coming to them. We know this is none other than their Messiah coming into Jerusalem, because He is righteous (Heb., tsaddı̂yq) and endowed with salvation (Heb., yâsha‛), which cannot be said of any other king.

Furthermore, they would know for certain when this prophecy was fulfilled, because it states exactly what kind of beast He would be riding on. He would not be walking, or riding proudly on a horse, nor even a chariot, but humbly on a donkey. None of the kings of Israel recorded in the Old Testament  fulfilled this prophecy, so it was yet future when the prophet Zechariah prophesied it. You may recall that in 1 Kings 1:33, it mentions Solomon riding a mule on the day he was recognized as the new king of Israel around the year 1010 BC. He did this at his father's instruction, and it was one of king David's mules that he rode upon. However, I will give you two reasons why that was not a fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy, which was given around five hundred years later around 520 - 518 BC.

First of all, that was a mule, not a donkey. While we may use these terms interchangeably, they are not the same. "A mule is produced when you breed a male donkey to a female horse, also known as a mare...Mules possess characteristics of both of their parents but are typically sterile and unable to reproduce." 1 Since Solomon rode on a mule, he could not have fulfilled this prophecy precisely, since the prophet said it would be a donkey.

Secondly, the prophet did not say the Messiah would ride upon only one animal, but upon two! He said, "Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." In order for Messiah to fulfill this prophecy, He would have to be mounted simultaneously on both a donkey (Heb., chămôr: a male donkey) and a colt (Heb., ‛ayira: a young donkey or colt, foal), which is a donkey's foal (Heb., bên: son, child, firstborn, foal). If the prophet meant that the King would ride only on a donkey, he would have simply said "a donkey," but he added that he would ride even upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This is not a poetic interchange, or an expression using two different terms interchangeably, but a reference to two different animals that the king would ride upon. Zechariah would not have used the Hebrew word chămôr for male donkey if he were referring to a colt. He simply would have used the word ‛ayira for a colt of a donkey. But he used both the words chămôr and ‛ayira, plus he added the word bên to leave no question that one of the animals he would be riding would be a young one or youthful foal. This is similar to the way we call a small cat a kitten and not a cat, and a small dog a puppy, in order to differentiate between the adult and the babies. Therefore, keep in mind that according to Zechariah's prophecy, the Messiah must be riding both a donkey and a colt.

Fulfillment of Zechariah's Prophecy
Now let's look at the amazing, supernatural fulfillment of the prophecy, which is found in all four of the gospels in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19. The gospels were all written by Jewish authors who all mentioned the colt, but Matthew, who was writing to Jews with an aim to show that Jesus Christ was their Messiah King, mentions both the donkey and the colt. Therefore, I would like to quote Matthew's passage which says:

"When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord has need of them," and immediately he will send them.'"

"This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, "Behold your king is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." ' "

"The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord; Hosanna in the highest!' "

"When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, 'Who is this?' And the crowds were saying, 'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.' " (Mat 21:1-11)

Let's look at this amazing fulfillment carefully.

First, Jesus knew in advance exactly where the donkey (Gr., onos) and its colt (Gr., pōlos) would be located, and told his disciples precisely where to find them. Prophets tend to know things like this that they could not know unless God showed them, and they can see things that they would not be able to see unless God enabled them to do so. Jesus was obviously more than a prophet, but He was a prophet (Acts 3:22,23; Deuteronomy 18:15). It would have been impossible for anyone to know exactly where these two animals were without having seen them in advance, unless God showed Him.

Secondly, once they brought the donkey and its colt to the Lord and spread their coats on the two animals, He sat on their coats on top of the two animals. I suppose that he must have sat side-straddling the donkey, with his feet -- as if on a footstool -- resting upon the back of the colt, which was right alongside the donkey. That would be the only way to ride both a donkey and it's colt at the same time, since it would be impossible to easily straddle both animals while wearing a long robe down to your ankles. I challenge anyone else to try this and see if they can do it. I am sure that no other king has ever done this, especially not a king of Israel. Yet Jesus was so relaxed about it and did it so effortlessly that He made it look easy.

Thirdly, in two of the other gospels (Mk 11:2 and Lk 19:30), it mentions the fact that no one had ever ridden this particular donkey, so the Lord was the first one ever to ride it. As you may know, an animal must be taught to allow people to ride on it. It must become accustomed to being ridden, so that it doesn't throw the rider. This takes time, and one would expect the donkey to throw the first one who attempts to ride it, or at least run away, so that the rider would fall off. But this donkey and its colt didn't do that. Rather they allowed the Lord to ride them easily and gracefully, because they were under God's control. Both animals were drawn by God similar to the way that God drew all the animals to Noah and then into the ark (Genesis 7:15), or the way that God sent an angel to block Balaam's donkey from taking the prophet to curse Israel (Numbers 22–24).

Fourthly, of all the animals that the Lord could have chosen for this event, a donkey would be one of the most difficult ones with which to accomplish this. For a donkey does not think like a horse and can often be more challenging to train. Horses respond, donkeys and mules evaluate. Horses are more cooperative and responsive to directions than donkeys. Since donkeys can be more independent, it would normally be more challenging to ride a donkey that has never been ridden and to get it to go exactly where you want it to go, even if you put a halter on it. In fact, it could even result in injury to the rider. This donkey that the Lord rode did not have a halter and had never been ridden, yet it went right down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem with the Lord on its back, as if it had all been rehearsed beforehand. Donkeys don't normally do that, especially not the first time they have ever been ridden. That was supernatural!

Fifthly, not only did this donkey peacefully carry the Lord exactly where He was supposed to go in order to fulfill Zechariah's prophecy, but it walked side-by-side with its colt in perfect unity. The foal walked close enough to the donkey that the disciples could cover both animals with their coats and the Lord could sit on both of them simultaneously. It would have to be supernatural for that to happen and for the two animals to stay together, walking in unison all the way down the hill carrying the Lord into Jerusalem.

Sixth, the spontaneous reaction of the disciples was to put their coats on the animals, so the Lord would not have to ride bear-back on them. They didn't even know until afterwards that this event had fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy.

Seventh, the spontaneous reaction of the crowds of people was to spread their coats on the road for the donkey and colt to walk over as they carried the Lord down the hill. They afforded Him the honor of a king. In fact, Mark's gospel says that others also took palm branches they had cut from the fields and spread them out on the road in front of him (Mk 11:8; Mt 21:8). They also spontaneously rejoiced and shouted in triumph just as Zechariah prophesied they would. As they did, they recognized Him as their coming king who comes in the name of the Lord, as stated in Luke's gospel:

"When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'" (Lk 19:37-38, NIV)

John's gospel says: "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!' ” (Joh 12:13, NIV).

The Hebrew people know what to do when they recognize their king, in order to acknowledge him as their sovereign ruler. And that is exactly what they did for Jesus on this particular occasion. They did it in one accord as if on cue. This was consistent with the Jewish coronation custom. In Israel, when someone was anointed king, they would publicly proclaim it with great fanfare. For example, when Jehu was anointed as king, they spread their cloaks on the bare steps for him to walk on. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:13). Likewise, when Solomon was anointed as king, “They sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ And all the people went up after him playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.” (1 Kings 1:39-40).

Closing Words
It could not be more clear that the people recognized Jesus as their coming King, the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of David. And the Lord fulfilled it all with such ease. He didn't get anxious about it before hand, hoping everything would go perfectly according to prophecy. He just did it all so gracefully and humbly, because it was ordained by God and it was meant to happen. In doing so, He perfectly fulfilled Zechariah prophecy that was given some five hundred years beforehand. It all happened in God's perfect timing, too, less than a week before they crucified Him on the cross with the inscription above His head written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin and Greek) that identified Him as: "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews" (John 19:19-20).

If you have not yet put your trust and hope in Jesus Christ as your Lord and King, let me invite you to do so today. What are you waiting for? He is the missing piece of the puzzle in your relationship with God. He is righteous and endowed with salvation, as the prophet said. You can find a link in the final section after this article about how to know Him personally. You don't know what you are missing until you meet Jesus Christ personally and come to know Him. You begin by turning from darkness to Him, repenting of your sins, believing that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead, then asking Him to forgive you, inviting Him into your heart to take control of your life, and trusting Him to save you. That's what I did over thirty years ago, and my life has never been the same since then.

Recently after I had I spoken on this topic, and shared the points I made above, my oldest daughter Charity wrote a lovely poem that communicates my message beautifully with rhythm and rhyme. It's called Coronation in Jerusalem, and I close my message with these verses that she has written saying:

A lowly man,

The Great I AM,

Descends the olive mount.

O Daughter of Zion,

Your entry widen!

Make a joyful sound!

Divinely drawn,

Crowds gather on

The city’s ancient streets

As if by plan

To hail the man

God sent to set them free.

The Promised One

In flesh had come,

How stirred are hearts within!

Their cloaks they lay

Along the way

And fronds cut just for Him.

He rides a foal

And donkey both.

They walk in sync as one.

The nation’s sign—

The two assigned

To act in unison.

Here comes the Lord,

The One adored,

In one accord, they shout.

Not once rehearsed,

The words that burst

From lips that cried aloud:

“O Son of David,

Long-awaited,

Commissioned by our God,

Hosanna to

None else but you!

The Chosen One we laud!”

Overtaken,

Spirit-shaken,

Prophetic praise spills forth.

The very sight

Of Christ ignites

Such praise unto the Lord.

In days of old

The seer foretold

This well-known, true event.

'Twas all fulfilled

In style and skill,

 So gracefully it went.

Footnotes: (1) Animals on Mom.com, Jen Davis.

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures quoted from the Holy Bible NIV copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image from the Public Domain. Coronation in Jerusalem poem by Charity Lacroix taken from Verses to the King, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Is Jesus God?, Supremacy of Christ, The Sinlessness of Christ, The Son of Man, and Christ's Two Ascensions. I also recommend my daughter Charity's music video called Coronation in Jerusalem. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what G-d's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of G-d, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Titles of Christ

Our wonderful Lord Jesus has many titles in Scripture. Here are some of them, although not all of them:

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, our Peace, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Son of the Most High God, the Son of the Blessed One, the Holy One of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Word of God, the Word of Life, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the eternal Life, the Living One, the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of the kings of the earth, the Head over every power and authority, King of kings, Lord of lords, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, the Chief Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, Savior, Redeemer, the Son of Man, the Righteous One, the Sun of Righteousness, the bright Morning Star, our Advocate, Immanuel, the Bread of Life, the Light of the world, the Branch, the true Vine, and the Door.

Now here are some of the Scriptures where those titles come from:

Isaiah 9:6 - "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 47:4 - "Our Redeemer—the Lord Almighty is his name— is the Holy One of Israel."

Luke 4:33-34 - "In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, 'Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God!'”

Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Matthew 1:23 - “'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')."

Ephesians 2:14 - "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..."

Matthew 16:16 - "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'"

Mark 5:7 - "He shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!'"

Mark 14:61-62 - "But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'”

Matthew 14:33 - "Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'”

John 1:1,14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:29 - "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

Revelation 5:8, 11-12 - "Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints...Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!'"

John 4:42 - "Then they said to the woman, 'Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.'”

Acts 5:31 - "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

Acts 13:23 - "From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus—"

Ephesians 5:23 - "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body."

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Col 2:10 - "And in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority."

John 8:12 - "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'”

John 9:5 - Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 10:7-9 - "Therefore Jesus said again, 'Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.'"

John 10:14-15 - "I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."

John 15:1 - Jesus said, “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener."

Isaiah 11:1 - "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."

Hebrews 3:1 - "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." (KJV)

1 Peter 2:25 - "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (KJV)

1 Peter 2:25 - "For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (NASB)

1 Peter 5:4 - "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

John 6:35 - "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'"

John 14:6 - "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

1 John 1:1-2 - "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us."

Acts 28:31 - "He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!"

Romans 1:4 - "And who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 John 2:1 - "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."

Acts 3:14 - "You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you."

Acts 7:52 - "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—"

Acts 22:14  - “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth."

Malachi 4:2 - "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves."

Revelation 1:18 - "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

Revelation 3:14 - “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation."

Revelation 4:4-5 - "John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood..."

Revelation 17:14 - "They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Revelation 19:16 - "On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords."

Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Revelation 22:16 - “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (cf., 2 Pe 1:19; Rev 2:28)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off Following Jesus, Christ the Beginning, Light of the World, The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, There's No One Like the Lord, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Sinlessness of Christ

In this day and age when liberal pastors and theologians are challenging the sinlessness of Christ, it would do our souls well to protect ourselves from such lies by holding fast the faithful Word. If anyone doubts whether Christ was sinless, they need only to examine the Scriptures to see that He was. Here are seven verses that speak of the sinlessness of Christ:

He Committed No Sin
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Pe 2:22, NIV). The meaning of this verse is clear. Jesus Christ committed no sin.

He Had No Sin
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21, NIV). Once again, the the Bible says that Jesus had no sin. The only sin he ever had was yours and mine, which he bore in his body and paid the penalty for on the cross.

In Him There is No Sin
"You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin." (1Jn 3:5). As with the previous verses written by the apostles Peter and Paul, the apostle John here affirms that there is no sin in Jesus Christ.

Without Sin
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15). The Scripture plainly says that Jesus was without sin.

Always Pleasing to God
Jesus said, "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." (Joh 8:29). The Lord explicitly says that He was always pleasing to God, and God would not have always been pleased with Him if he had committed even a single sin.

Without Blemish or Defect
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Pe 1:18-19, NIV). The apostle describes Jesus as a lamb without blemish or defect. If he had committed even one single sin, then he would not be without blemish or defect.

Perfect as the Heavenly Father is Perfect
Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat 5:48). He taught us that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Since Jesus did not require us to do anything that He Himself did not do, we know that He was perfect. And just in case there is any uncertainly over what the word "perfect" means, Jesus compared this to the Father's perfection. That's the highest level of perfection, which He Himself was walking out, and He said we must be like that.

He said, "I and the Father are one." (Joh 10:30). Since Jesus and the Father are one, we would expect perfection from Him just as the Father is perfect. The apostle alludes to His perfection when he says, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." (Col 2:9). This means that all he fullness of the Godhead, which includes His perfection, dwells in Jesus in bodily form.

Putting it All Together
In these seven verses, along with the supplemental ones I quoted in the final section, we have explicit, biblical proof that Jesus was in fact sinless. According to God's Word, He committed no sin, He had no sin, in Him there is no sin, He was without sin, He was always pleasing to God, He was without blemish or defect, and perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. The implications of this for us are twofold.

First of all, He alone is the one person who is entirely without sin. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, except for Jesus, since He is God incarnate. He came and led a sinless life, and then died on the cross as our sacrifice of atonement to take away our sin. He died in our place, the innocent for the guilty. He's a perfect Savior, and your life is in good hands when you turn it over to Him, trusting Him to save you.

Secondly, if Jesus lives in you, and you no longer live, because you have been crucified with Christ, then we know what kind of fruit that should produce in your life. It should produce only the good fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Christ will not produce any sin in us, but only righteousness, holiness, and truth. As we trust and obey the Lord, abiding in His Word, we will see the evidence of that in our lives, because He is a perfect Lord. Since He was sinless, then we, too, should aim for perfection.

Perhaps the best way to summarize these two implications is with the words of John the apostle, who said, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (1 Jn 2:1, NIV).

I hope this has give you a new appreciation for Jesus our perfect Lord and Savior, and some insight into what it means for us to follow in His steps.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright of ShareFaith.com, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Aim for Perfection, Following in His Steps, and Called to Be Blameless.  Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

There's No One Like the Lord

In my previous article, I wrote about the Supremacy of Christ, and in this post I'd like to continue along that same theme. I want to take this opportunity to exalt the Lord and give Him all the praise for who He is. Let's look at the Scriptures that say there is no one like the Lord, and remember that the same is true of both God the Father Almighty and Jesus Christ His Son, because Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15) and the exact representation of His being (Heb 1:3).

The prophet Jeremiah said, "No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power."  (Jer 10:6, NIV)

God certainly proved to Pharaoh that there was no one like Him in all the earth when He unleashed the full force of His plagues against him. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, "This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth."'" (Exodus 9:13-14)

After Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea out of Egypt, he sang a song, which says in part: "Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

When Moses pronounced a blessing on the tribe of Asher, he said, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty." (Deuteronomy 33:26)

King David prayed, "Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours." (Psalm 86:8)

Hannah prayed, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:2)

The apostle Paul said that Jesus is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." (Eph 1:21)

He is incomparable. He is matchless. Since there is no one else even in His league, and no one even comes close, He is peerless. He is far above all others who have ever been, who are now, and who shall ever be throughout eternity. He is highly exalted to the right hand of God and reigns supreme. He is the Name above all names. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God -- the Son of the Blessed One, the Son of the Most High God. He is the Holy One of God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the First and the Last, the Living One who was dead and behold He is alive forever and ever. He holds the keys of death and hell. He is ready to judge the living and the dead. He searches the hearts and minds of men. He holds the key of David. What He opens no man can shut, and what He shuts no man can open. He is the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the ruler of God's creation. He is God over all forever praised, Amen. In Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. The Father was pleased to have all of His fullness dwell in Him. He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth -- the Head over every power and authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. And He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! He is the high King of heaven, Power of my power, my Savior and my Redeemer, with high thanksgiving I pour out my soul to Him. Eternal praise shall be His forever.

The hair on His head is white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes are like blazing fire. His face shines like the sun in all its brilliance. He is dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. In His right hand He holds seven stars, and a sharp, double-edged sword proceeds from His mouth. His feet are like polished brass glowing in a furnace, and His voice is like the sound of rushing waters. He is the Light of the World.

He is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The government shall be upon His shoulders, and of the increase of His government there shall be no end. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He is the Bishop of our souls, the great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise. He's the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except by Him. He is the one Mediator between God and man.

No greater love has any man than His. He laid down His life for His friends. He gave His life for you on the cross, and rose from the dead. He bore your sins on the cross and paid the penalty of sin on your behalf. He carried your sickness in His body on the cross, and by His stripes you are healed.

If you don't know Him, you need to know that He loves you more than you can ever imagine, and He wants you to live with Him in heaven forever. I strongly encourage you to see the last section below at the bottom of this post.

Meanwhile, if you do know Him personally as your Lord and Savior, then give Him all the praise that's rightly due His name. Give Him the glory He deserves, because there's no one like Him in all the earth.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off Following Jesus, Christ the Beginning, Light of the World, The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.